Chiral Balance
by WS246
Summary: As the galaxy goes dark from the Reaper War, Andromeda Shepard and Garrus Vakarian hang on to what little light they have left; each other. An embellishment of the events of ME3. Rated M for violence, language, and sex including "deviant" sex practices .
1. Reunion

**Hi all,**

**This is a Mass Effect 3 fan fiction that has been a long time in the making. I started writing it as a form of closure. As many of you might know, the game's ending was... questionable. Much of the game content was beautifully done, however, I did feel that certain parts were rushed, neglected. The romance in the game was one such aspect that just did not impress me. As a way of making it up to myself, I began to write what the Mass Effect team left unsaid in my head. I've held onto it long enough, now it's time to share.**

**Updates will take place every few days, I have six chapters written and in the can, so you can rest assured that this fanfic is going to grow and mature to its full conclusion; no halfway jobs here.**

**As a disclaimer, I want to note that all characters are property of Bioware. This is their game and "artistic vision," and my story is simply my personal interpretation. The fanfic will follow major ME3 events and timelines, though there will be alterations and deviations from the canon story where appropriate. It should go unsaid, but I will always strive to maintain the integrity of the Mass Effect universe in these deviations. There will be adult materials in certain chapters, so please read responsibly.**

**As background, Andromeda Shepard is: War Hero/Spacer, Infiltrator, All-Paragon**

**Enjoy and leave a comment or review!**

* * *

**Chiral Balance- Chapter 1: Reunion**

Andromeda Shepard sank deeper into the padded chair. The meeting with the Council hadn't brought any promises of military support; that didn't surprise her. Still, it was an emotional blow. Earth was burning and the galaxy would stand by and watch, waiting for their own turn. The Reapers were coming for them all, but Humans were the first of the Citadel Races to have a home world bear the brunt of a Reaper assault. Even as rage, guilt, and hopelessness ebbed and flowed in her mind, a cooler part pointed out that even with the full support of the Citadel Defense Fleet, the Alliance stood no chance of taking Earth back. With hundreds of Reaper ships in orbit, it would take nothing short of the entire galaxy's navies to take Earth back.

"They're a bunch of self-concerned jackasses, Shepard." raged Udina, as he strode into the office. "We may have a spot on the Council, but humanity will always be considered second… Are you making yourself comfortable, Commander?"

Shepard laced her hands behind her head and slowly put her feet up on Udina's desk, "I am now," she said with a smile twitching at her lips. "Udina, you know we'd hold on to every one of our ships for our own borders if Sur'Kesh, Thessia, or Palaven were hit first."

"Palaven _was_ hit, Commander."

Shepard stood, "Councilor Sparatus," she said happily. Her smile widened slightly seeing Udina turn crimson from rage out of the corner of her eye. Clearly, her contempt had not gone unnoticed. "I don't suppose you came to tell me you changed your mind?"

"Not quite, Commander," said Sparatus, choosing not to comment on Shepard and Udina's interpersonal relationship. "I can't give you what you need, but I can tell you how to get it."

"I've already got the number of a Turian booty-call Councilor. It'll do until I get clearance to find out where Garrus Vakarian is and what he's doing."

Sparatus glared at her, "Now is hardly the time, Commander. Primarch Fedorian called a war summit, but… we lost contact with him when the Reapers hit Palaven. Those meetings won't proceed without him. The Normandy is one of the few ships that can extract Primarch Fedorian undetected. The leaders of this summit will be the ones deciding our future. The fate of our fleets, where they fight, and with whom. A grateful Primarch would be a tremendous ally in your bid to unite us."

"Are you going to give me a location, or do I have to get clearance for that too?" asked Shepard, crossing her arms.

"Our latest intelligence says the Primarch was moved to a base on Palaven's largest moon. I've done all I can to help. The rest is up to you. And while you _don't_ have Hierarchy clearance, you might manage hold off on paying a Turian to satisfy you long enough to find someone else of value to you on Menae."

* * *

"What are we looking at Joker?"

"Relay approach finalized Commander, coordinates locked in. Engaging stealth systems and drive core… now."

One moment, the Widow relay filled the screens, and in the next, Palaven. Shepard's hand clamped down on the headrest of Joker's pilot chair; and a gasp slipped past her lips. Leaving an Earth on fire had been the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life, but coming Garrus' world and seeing it equally ravaged came close. For all the light-hearted banter, Andromeda was being torn to shreds on the inside. Losing Earth and, now, possibly losing Garrus to the same damned war… making light with jokes and flirting was the only way a girl could hold on to any hope.

Andromeda stood, transfixed by the devastation. Somewhere, down on that burning world, was her… what was he to her anyways? She might have settled on "boyfriend," but, somehow, that didn't seem to do justice to the man who had followed her on a suicide mission to stop a rogue Spectre from bringing galactic apocalypse, who had died, metaphorically, with her once, nearly died, literally, on her afterwards, and came back from both. It didn't describe the man who had followed her on a _second_ suicide mission to destroy the Collectors, leading a fire team through the gauntlet of their forces and diverting them long enough for her to infiltrate the seeker swarm caverns. It didn't describe the Turian whose arms had held her and comforted her the night before she returned to Earth, alone, for her tribunal. No, Garrus was more; he was her lover, her mate, a man who had jumped straight into hell twice simply because she had.

The worse part was that it had been _months_ since she'd last seen Garrus or heard from him. Once she'd turned herself into Alliance custody, it wasn't enough for Alliance brass to simply monitor her extranet activity; they had cut her off completely. Even after leaving Earth and being reinstated, she'd only been stonewalled from contacting Garrus by Hierarchy security protocols. Was he down on Menae, somewhere, fighting or dying while she watched from on high? Andromeda gritted her teeth. Garrus had been in tough spots before and surprised her, case and point her discovery that he was Archangel. Only, that time, she hadn't known he was in trouble until he took off his helmet. This time, Andromeda knew the stakes; somewhere down on that ball of dust, Garrus needed her. Maybe the official reason for coming to Menae was to rescue the Turian Primarch to lead a war summit, but Shepard knew she'd come for more than that.

"Shepard, I got up here as fast as I… oh, Goddess…" Liara had just rushed into the cockpit. "Shepard, I'm sorry, this must be even harder for you. Garrus…"

"Why does that Turian get himself into these situations whenever I'm gone?" asked Shepard, hanging her head.

"We'll find him, Shepard," said Liara, squeezing her shoulder.

Shepard nodded, aware that she was doing a poor job of masking her fears.

"It's alright. Thanks for trying Liara," Shepard said quietly.

Shepard watched the screens silently as the Normandy accelerated in-system. All around them, evidence of the war could be found and, from what it looked like, the Turians were taking a beating like they'd never had. Ragged chunks of hull and mini-nebulae of flash frozen vaporized metal and ash painted the Normandy's sensor sweeps. There were Reaper silhouettes as well, a testament to a hard-fought battle on both sides. Andromeda wondered how many Turians had given their lives defending their relay, only to have their lines overrun and their home world attacked. Further in-system, Normandy's sensor suite detected the ripples of multiple dreadnaught class weapon discharges. Clearly, the fight had only moved closer to Palaven, with Turians and Reapers still slugging back and forth as hard as they could.

"Commander, approach vectors to Menae are locked, we'll be ready to deploy you in a shuttle in thirty minutes," warned Joker.

"Alright, Liara, you're coming groundside. Let's see if we can get that Primarch."

"And Garrus, Shepard. We're not leaving Palaven without him."

Andromeda nodded and led the way to the elevator.

* * *

"Vakarian, sir!"

"What is it private?" asked Garrus.

The private swallowed hard, "Sir, you asked that you be immediately informed of any non-Turian assets entering the system…"

Garrus cursed himself for his impatience and for snapping at the soldier. The boy looked as though he had been recruited only days before Palaven was hit, which given the circumstance, was probably the truth. It wasn't the private's fault the right flank was collapsing, desperately needing men Garrus simply did not have. It wasn't the private's fault that the Reapers had managed to blindside his entire race and was now pummeling them into the ground. It certainly wasn't the recruit's fault that he'd _failed_ to make a difference once the Reapers came.

"What do you have, private?"

"Command registered superluminal to subluminal transition of an additional non-Turian friendly twenty minutes..."

"Is the vessel human?" the words tumbled out of his mouth before the private could even finish.

The private stared in confusion, "Details are classified, sir, no information on race of origin or class."

It was almost too much to hope for. Before the Reapers had come for his world, Garrus had been staring in horror at the last images of Earth com buoys had captured before being destroyed. He forced himself to watch as skyscrapers filled with screaming humans plummeted to the ground, as the Reapers systematically routed Alliance forces from their defensive positions, as the debris of the human navy rained down upon the ashes of their dead. Somewhere amidst all that death and destruction was Andromeda. Did she make it out alive or had she died in a cell as the Reapers destroyed the building she was imprisoned in? Maybe she was still alive, but trapped, suffocating slowly under the weight of a collapsed wall. Could it be that the Hero of Elysium, the Hero of the Citadel, the woman he'd bonded to had left the universe again? Garrus shook his head; it wouldn't do him any good to think that way. If there was any human who could survive a Reaper onslaught, it would be Shepard.

"Thank you private, keep me informed on any new developments. Dismissed."

Garrus turned back to the tactical display in front of him. "General Cassius, what's your status?"

"Sir, I need more men! We're still holding all our sectors, but the platoons can't take this kind of attrition; we're going to be overrun unless we get more men out here."

"Pull your forces back to fallback delta! Command can't spare any more men."

"Yes sir!"

"Vakarian to all platoon commanders. The right flank is giving. Fighting retreat in all tertiary sectors to your next fallback positions. Primary and secondary sectors, hold your ground. Any available reserves, move to support the right flank."

Garrus breathed deeply and stared up at the sky. When he'd first arrived on Menae, it'd been breathtaking. It still was, but in scope of horror rather than majesty. Above him, his home burned, with him, his men were dying, between them, the Hierarchy was losing ships faster than any other time in Turian history. If Shepard was coming to turn the tide, she needed to hurry; they were all running out of time.

* * *

Vega snorted, "Seriously, Lola, you should get yourself a _real_ gun."

Shepard glanced sideways and saw James slapping a thermal clip into his M-55 Argus. "Sometimes things need a _woman's_ touch Lieutenant," she said while screwing on an extended barrel to her prized Mantis.

"Pft. While you play infiltrator behind that fancy cloak of yours, _I'll_ be out in the front, buying you time to line up your shots."

"Tell you what, Vega, you put down more bad guys than I do on this run, and I'll let you _have_ this gun."

"Whoa, Lola. You sure you can afford to give up the whole armory like that?"

Andromeda pulled the bolt back on her rifle and slammed it home, feeling the satisfying click of a fresh thermal clip. Turning her back on him, she started walking away, hips swaying slightly. She called over her shoulder, "Careful, Lieutenant, I haven't even told you what I'm taking if I win."

* * *

"Commander?"

"What is it Cortez?"

"We're getting handshake signals from a command base about ten klicks north. They're requesting our assistance and offering to give you a sit rep of the situation once you're groundside."

"What's the word on the Primarch?"

"Specialist Traynor says Turian comm channels are flooded. With the Reapers destroying so much of their com sat girdle, it's hard enough for the Turians to communicate, never mind authenticating a human vessel."

"Hierarchy protocols forbid the discussion of classified information, such as the Primarch's location, over non-QEC channels, Shepard." chimed in Liara from the passenger compartment. "It's unlikely we'll know anything until we make contact with their command post."

"Alright. Take us in Cortez."

"Aye, Aye Commander."

Andromeda moved back to the passenger compartment to find Liara and James staring at feeds from the external hull cameras.

"Damn, Commander. The birds are getting the shit kicked out of 'em."

"The _Turians_ are doing everything they can, just like us," said Shepard, wincing internally at the bite in her voice.

"Shepard, I mean, we have a… mutual acquaintance here… somewhere. He means a lot to h… us," blabbered Liara.

Vega's eyes widened, "_Lola_, that was just a rumor with the grunts," he said with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"You haven't heard the half of it," she muttered as she pushed past him. Banging open the port hatch, she steadied her footing and flicked the safety off on her Mantis. Time to get a head start on Vega.

* * *

"Vakarian, Sir!"

"Another report, private?"

"Sir! Sector 17 command post reports inbound commando team. They're not arriving in a shuttle with a Turian FOF, Sir."

"Any additional information?"

"Yes Sir. It didn't seem pertinent at the time, but units along the flight path are reporting sniper fire from the side of the vehicle. Whoever's inside is making shots good enough to double radio chatter from our men out there."

"Private, get me transport to Sector 17 ASAP."

"Sir?"

Garrus turned away and barely managed to hide his grin from the recruit. Even with the universe going to hell around him, she'd found a way to come back _and _to let him know she was coming.

"Private, there are only two people on this rock who can shoot like that. You're talking to one and the other is the most important person in the universe to me. You have your orders."

* * *

Andromeda blew a kiss at a Turian engineer who'd, moments ago, almost had his mandibles torn off by a husk. The husk was now lying in the dirt, minus its head, and the Turian's mandibles were hanging open in astonishment, but at least they were still attached to his face. Shepard laughed; most likely, the Turian had no idea what that gesture meant. She couldn't help but to feel good. Nailing husk after husk in the head, a full box of thermal clips at her feet, and catching Vega's jaw drop from the corner of her eye; business was good.

The shuttle touched down. Andromeda grabbed one last thermal clip from the shuttle and leapt out, followed by Vega and Liara.

Shepard dropped another husk, "Lieutenant, I know the Alliance pays by the hour, but it looks like I'm going to take every credit you earn from this mission."

Vega swung his M-55 Argus brutally at an approaching husk, intent on delivering a melee blow to the creature. "Damn it, Shepard! How the hell am I supposed to work when you snipe only the ones I'm going for?"

"Should've thought of it before you started betting Lieutenant."

"Commander Shepard. Heard you were coming, but I didn't believe it. General Corinthus."

"Pleased to meet you, General. I'm here for Primarch Fedorian and maybe you can help me with another personal matter."

Shepard's heart sank as Corinthus' head dipped.

"Primarch Fedorian is dead. His shuttle was shot down an hour ago as it tried to leave the moon."

"Why would he do that if we were already en route to extract him?" asked Shepard with disbelief.

"Communications are down in some sectors, Commander. You're standing in one right now."

Shepard sighed deeply, it wasn't going to be of any use to lay blame at this point, but she still needed a Primarch and without communications, it was going to be impossible to find out about Garrus.

"The Turian Hierarchy provides very clear lines of succession," said Liara.

"With such heavy casualties, it's hard for me to be certain who the next Primarch is. Palaven Command will know. However, at the moment, contacting them is impossible. The comm tower is out. Husks are swarming that area- we can't get close enough to repair it."

"Don't worry General. I'll get your tower operational," said Shepard, unslinging her Mantis. She turned back to Corinthus and said, with hesitancy, "General, there is one other thing. Is there a Garrus Vakarian stationed on Menae?"

"Yes, he's coordinating defenses in sectors 5 through 17. When you get that comm tower operation, I can get you a line to his command post."

Andromeda's eyes widened. Garrus in a command position? Fitting but unexpected. He'd never shown much interest in moving up the Turian Hierarchy's ranks before.

"Thank you General. I'll be back once my team's taken the objective back."

* * *

Garrus sat with his Mantis sniper rifle between his legs, butt down. The transport shook; either due to rough terrain or enemy fire. His assistants had elected to dispatch him in a surface vehicle as opposed to shuttle due to the abundance of Harvesters in the theatre of operation. The transport had been carrying wounded to the medical complexes beneath the regional command post; it had been a sobering sight as he waited for the medics to unload soldier after soldier. Garrus had made sure to talk to and salute any of the conscious wounded, it was the least he could do for them. Now, sitting in a cavernous personnel compartment that stank of antiseptic, the full emotional weight of his decisions had hit home. Those men had been wounded, many of them critically so, in order to uphold his orders. The medics were huddled together, some of them catching sleep while it was still possible. Supplies, medical personnel, and the soldiers, themselves, were in short supply and overworked. If things didn't change, the Reapers would win by sheer attrition.

"Sir!" the intercom crackled, interrupting Garrus' pessimism, "We've arrived at the perimeter of the base. Outside is as safe as it ever gets here and we'll be taking on additional wounded in a moment."

"Thank you," said Garrus, and turning to the medics, "Your actions are a credit to the spirit of your company. Good luck to all of you."

Outside, Garrus knelt by a fallen marauder. The creature was already starting to dissolve without the Reaper nanites maintaining its integrity, but it was clear that whoever had killed it put a shot dead between the optics of the head. Looking farther, he saw the entire ridge was littered with husks and marauders. About three quarters of the dead had been killed by sniper fire, all head shots.

Garrus stood up and strode towards the base entrance. With any luck, Andromeda hadn't carved too deep a path into Reaper lines yet.

* * *

Andromeda ground her teeth in frustration. "I need someone- I don't care who, as long as they can get us the Turian resources we need."

"I'm on it, Shepard. We'll find you the Primarch."

Andromeda's gaze snapped up; there, walking up the ramp with a slight swagger, clutching his signature Mantis sniper rifle, was Garrus. He looked tired, his armor scratched and scuffed, but his eyes shone with excitement.

"Vakarian, Sir! I didn't see you arrive…"

"At ease, General."

Shepard stepped forward, past Corinthus. For a few precious seconds, the sounds of battle faded away, and her body felt like it was moving through water. Her eyes traced every detail of his face and her gauntleted hand reached out, trembling slightly at her fingertips. Tracing the curve of his jaw and the trench of a scar, she pulled him down into a kiss.

Liara smiled, James fiddled with his rifle's safety, and Corinthus stared down at his tactical display, ignoring the gross breach in protocol, but Shepard was past caring. Closing her eyes, she deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue between Garrus' mandibles. Garrus' rifle clattered to the ground as his arms embraced Andromeda and pulled her close.

"Garrus… how?" asked Andromeda, pulling away from the kiss.

"Nailing husks from two hundred meters away in a moving shuttle? If it wasn't me, who else could it be?"

Shepard punched him halfheartedly on the shoulder, then pressed her cheek to his breastplate, listening to the beat of his heart. "Garrus… when I saw Palaven, I thought you might have…"

"I'm hard to kill. You should know that."

Andromeda gave a watery chuckle and pulled all the way back. "Alright, we can talk more later. Right now, I need a Turian Primarch." Turning back to her team, Andromeda called, "James, this is Garrus Vakarian."

"Figures you'd go for another sniper, Lola." said Vega, shaking Garrus' hand.

Andromeda smiled mischievously, "His gun looks a lot longer than yours Vega. I'll bet it packs more of a punch too."

Garrus coughed, "Good to see you too Liara."

"Good to see you're in one piece Garrus," smiled Liara.


	2. Social Protocol

**Hi All, **

**Thanks for some lovely comments; I hope this fanfic continues to deliver to all you fans out there. I absolutely love hearing back from you all, so if you read it and enjoyed it, leave a brief comment; stuff like that is what keeps a writing going. Any feedback or critiques are very welcome, as are requests and speculation. You never know, future chapters may be influenced by _your_comments, so let's have them! **

**Incidentally; if any of you wish to share this fanfic with any communities or forums out there, I ask that you first PM me to let me know where the fanfic is being shared and to give fair credit where it is due. Having said that, I'd be thrilled if any of you liked the fanfic enough to share with other people and will definitely give you permission to do so.**

**This chapter picks up shortly after the point where chapter 1 ended. I'll be skipping certain parts of the ME3 game and assuming readers have played through already (if not, YouTube is a great place to go). These are parts of ME3 that I have absolutely no objection to. I skip these parts in order to not bog down you, the reader, and also because I don't want to inadvertently ruin the parts I actually enjoyed. This chapter came from my frustration about Shepard and Garrus' reunion scene in the Normandy. Yes, there's a Reaper War going on. Yes, people are dying. But if you safely reunite with a person you love whom you've been unable to contact for months and whom you thought could have died, do you really think you'd just give a kiss and say you don't know where things will go? I think not.  
**

**Adult materials in this chapter; please read responsibly. If you don't like it, don't read it and wait for subsequent chapters; this isn't an erotic fanfic, but is an adult one.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Social Protocol**

Andromeda stood at the entrance of the shuttle, looking back at the two Turian men she was waiting for. Their silhouettes were sharp against the hellish backdrop, as both Turians stared up at Palaven, burning. Shepard felt something tear inside. For them, it was her departure from Earth played out again. She imagined the thoughts racing through their minds; would Palaven hold out long enough for them to return, could the Reapers be stopped on Menae without Primarch Victus, could their sacrifice help end the war, how many would have to die before they could come home? As Andromeda watched the two Turians take a last look at their home world, a terrible wave of bitterness and exhaustion washed over her.

After the rendezvous with Garrus, the rest of the mission had flashed by and merged into a whirlwind of gunfire and dodging in her mind. Vaguely, she remembered killing a Reaper Harvester with a shot to the head, using a mounted turret to pound waves of husks into pulp while James complained loudly about "cheating," and feeling terror as she laid in Menae's dust, kinetic barriers down, with a Brute raising its arm for a killing blow. Garrus had managed to send an armor piercing round straight through its head and down a length of its spine, killing the damned thing a second before it could gut Andromeda.

Now, sore and bruised, all Shepard wanted was to take off, wash the dirt and taste of Menae off, and take some personal time before the next mission. As tired as she was, she held back from calling out to Victus and Garrus; this would probably be the last time they'd see Palaven for a long while. Instead, she took her seat across from Vega.

"Why the glum face Lieutenant?"

"Come on Lola, do you have to rub it in before we even dust off?"

Shepard smiled, "My, my, are we conceding defeat before we even count the kills?"

"You cheated," said Vega with a grimace.

Andromeda made a show of brushing dust off her Mantis sniper rifle, "Well since you were _so good_ at helping me line up my shots, I'll let you off the hook this one time."

"You always go easy collecting on bets Lola?"

"I can be _flexible._ Sometimes I like a more _personal_ prize than credits."

* * *

Garrus stood at the new Primarch's side, staring up at the fires on Palaven with him.

"I should be honored to be Primarch, but it only means I have to leave Palaven to the Reapers, watching the fight from safety," said the Primarch sourly.

"Shepard's right though. If you don't go to the summit, we lose everything."

"And you?"

"Primarch…" Garrus said hesitantly, "…requesting permission to serve aboard the Normandy and under Shepard's command."

Victus stared into the fires raging on Palaven for an entire minute before answering, "Why would I transfer our Reaper 'Expert' from this theatre?"

"Damn it, Victus, you know I'm no more of an expert than any other general out there is. I came to Command with a plan to prepare us for invasion, one that they practically ignored. I've got nothing your other generals don't have to fight an actual invasion."

"You'd leave Palaven, you'd leave your family, to do this?"

Garrus lowered his gaze to the ground and said softly, "Shepard's our best hope. If she can't help us beat the Reapers, I'm already done here."

"And is there any other reason at all to request your transfer, Vakarian?"

Garrus swallowed, "Primarch…"

Victus finally turned to look Garrus in the eye, "Permission granted, Vakarian. I just wanted you to realize that, one day, you might have to choose between what's best for our people and what's best for her." The Primarch turned back to Palaven. "It's a good thing that this time, we can have both without choosing."

Garrus nodded his thanks and turned towards the shuttle.

"Does she know, Vakarian?" asked Victus over his shoulder.

Garrus turned back, "She'd want to stay here, go down to Palaven, if she knew my family was down there. I can't let her risk that, not when we need to win this war so badly."

"That's not what I meant, Vakarian. Does she know about your duty to Palaven and the Turian Hierarchy?"

Garrus turned his head and saw Andromeda already dozing lightly in her seat, her hair framing her face. "No. But I'd rather you not tell her about that either."

* * *

"Shepard, the Normandy cannot maintain stealth drives indefinitely. Temperatures in crew-occupied environments in the ship have been steadily rising. I recommend immediate egress from this system," reported EDI.

Shepard tugged at the collar of her uniform, it was getting warmer. "Joker, get us out of here. Set a course for the Annos Basin, the Primarch has called a war summit there."

"Aye, Aye, Commander. Plotting a course now, ETA to mass relay is two hours. Once we clear the relay, I'll find a gas giant to discharge the Normandy and to radiate our excess heat."

"How long will that take?"

"I can probably get us to the coordinates of the summit in two days of shipboard time."

"Good, the sooner the summit starts, the better."

"More like the sooner we find out they're sending us on another goose chase before they commit anything to Earth, and, hey, there's no rush, just people dying right?"

"The Turians want us to get the Krogan on their side before they send any help."

Joker snorted derisively, "That's it huh? Is your plan to give Wrex a kiss and ask nicely?"

Shepard glared at him, "I'm working on it."

* * *

"EDI, surveillance off and door locked. Reinstate when door registers my bio-signature," said Shepard as she walked into the forward battery.

"As you wish, Shepard."

"Garrus?"

"I'm down here, Shepard."

Andromeda walked forward to find Garrus with his hands deep inside one of the Thanix cannon's capacitors. He hadn't even changed out of his armor. "Now I know which one of us matters more."

Garrus barely looked up, "Just playing hard to get, Shepard…"

"Garrus, you've been avoiding me," said Andromeda with a hard glint in her eyes. "I want to know why. You looked happy to see me on Menae, but now it's like you're trying to hide."

"Shepard…" Garrus looked away to a spot over her shoulder.

"Hey, come on," Andromeda put her hand on Garrus' scarred side and gently pushed his gaze back to her. "Garrus, you can tell me. Did you meet that recon scout when you went back to Palaven?" she joked.

Garrus snorted, "Shepard, she wouldn't even have a chance against you."

"Then what is it?"

"My… my family."

Shepard's eyes widened, "Oh my God, they're still down there aren't they?" she shrieked. "Garrus, why didn't you tell me when we were in orbit?"

"You don't know what it's like down there. I don't know where they are, I don't even know if they're still alive. I couldn't let you risk everything else to try to find them."

Andromeda slapped Garrus, "We could have _tried!_" she screamed with tears in her eyes. "EDI, tell Joker to turn us around!"

"Shepard, you know she can't hear us. It's too late now, the Normandy needs to get out of here before our stealth drives cut out and the Reapers find us. You know it was the right thing to do."

Andromeda punched Garrus, tears streaming down her face, then pulled him in, burying her face into his chest plate. "You… _stupid_… Turian," she whispered.

Garrus reached up to caress her hair. Turian females had no hair and, at first, Garrus had barely noticed Andromeda's hair. When they'd finally given in to their mutual attraction, he still had a hard time appreciating her body. Things were familiar, yet so alien. Their first night together, Garrus had been terribly self-conscious. What if she found him unattractive? Hell, he wasn't even sure if he would find her attractive in anything other than full combat armor. Fingers and toes; humans had so many fingers and toes… That had changed very quickly; about as long as it had taken for her to slip out of her clothes.

Garrus' chest thrummed with contentment. Her hair, the way it formed a curtain that framed her face, the way it shimmered and caught the light whenever she pushed it behind her ear, the rousing fragrance that it carried, Garrus loved to touch it and to breathe in Shepard's scent.

Spirits, she was beautiful. His hands caressed her back as he tried to remember the silky texture of her skin. No Turian woman had skin so soft and supple, and when Garrus had felt Shepard's bare body against his own, he quickly realized that the Turian attraction to humans was less a fetish than an appreciation for everything a human could be that a Turian could not.

"Garrus… I missed you so much," whispered Shepard. She wiped her tears and, in the next moment, was kissing Garrus with a wild passion. It wasn't an action he could reciprocate, but she felt his mandibles spread and his tongue snake out and into her mouth. At first, they'd worried about incompatibility of levo- and dextro-rotatory amino acids, but after a few allergic reactions and more time together, their immune systems seemed to have finally habituated. Before they'd been forced to return to Palaven and Earth, respectively, they'd even done away with condoms.

Garrus growled, breaking off the kiss and pinning Andromeda to the side of the Thanix cannon. As he nuzzled into her neck, rubbing his scent and breathing hers in, Shepard raised her legs to straddle his waist, gasping as he bit down gently on her shoulder and pressed against her.

Andromeda pulled her head back and saw the wild, almost feral look in Garrus' eyes. It'd been months since he had last lain with her, months filled with conflict, stress, battle, and the Reapers. Andromeda looked into his eyes and knew he was a hairbreadth away from taking her there and then. Once he'd gone past that threshold, there'd be almost no way to stop him until he'd been sated. Maybe rescuing his family was out of the question, but she knew there were other ways to bring him comfort and succor. She rubbed against him, feeling warmth well up between her legs, and then pushed him back. "You'd better change into something a little more… comfortable," she said.

His eyes stared back, the lust and hunger fading slightly. "You sure you want this now, Shepard?"

Andromeda walked towards the door, swinging her hips slightly. Turning around, she licked her lips provocatively. "It's been months for me too, Garrus. I'll be upstairs, don't keep me waiting."

* * *

As the elevator moved upwards, Andromeda leaned back against the wall, groaning slightly. Her panties had gotten uncomfortably wet, and as she pressed her thighs together, she felt the warmth spreading and a trickle down her left thigh. Gasping, she reached her floor and, staggering slightly, left the elevator. She quickly undid the top of her uniform, dropping it on the catwalk outside her door as a hint to Garrus. Entering her loft, she lost her pants as well. "EDI," she said, trying to control her voice, "can a girl get some privacy?"

"This is a pre-recorded message. I have already taken the liberty of disabling all security devices inside your loft, Commander."

Andromeda smiled to herself and stripped out of her undergarments, tossing them aside onto the couch. Sighing, she laid back on her bed. In the forward battery, she'd just barely held back from pushing herself and Garrus over the edge. Still, it was a more prudent decision; experience had shown that the walls were not quite thick enough to stifle her screams from the first officer's cabin. She'd missed Garrus' embrace, his strong arms wrapped around her, holding her and shielding her, if only for a moment, from the weight of the entire galaxy. She had missed the smooth, warm, leathery feeling of his skin, the simultaneously tender and insistent way he'd touch her, and the way he'd revel in her scent, breathing it in and letting it drive him over the edge. Unconsciously, she spread her legs, fingers dipping into her folds. Gasping, she pushed deeper, using her thumb to rub her clitoris. She clenched down around her fingers, feeling intense pleasure and heat radiating outwards.

"Starting without me?" asked Garrus, who'd apparently entered silently and had been watching at the foot of the stairs.

Andromeda pulled her fingers back out, moaning softly; they were dripping with her excitement. Rolling over and opening one eye, she saw that Garrus had taken her cue and stripped. He stood in front of her, naked, a Turian Adonis in the flesh. He was already fully extended, his own natural lubricant glistening along his length. In a flash, he was on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed. Andromeda moaned in need as his shaft brushed against her folds without entering. Looking up, she saw Garrus experimentally sniffing at the moisture which still coated her fingers. Smiling, she pushed her fingers past his razor sharp teeth and into his mouth, where his tongue greedily lapped at her wetness.

"There's more of that where it came from," said Shepard, sultrily. The taste and scent of her seemed to push Garrus over the edge. An intense and feral look came over his eyes and he snarled. Andromeda quickly withdrew her hand and grasped the edges of his plates, working her fingers between them, stimulating the nerve clusters in the gaps. A guttural growl escaped from Garrus' throat and he grabbed her wrist once again, slamming her arm down on the bed. Andromeda arched her back and screamed loudly as he bit down on the nape of her neck. Clamping down harder, but still not breaking her skin, Garrus also positioned himself at her opening.

Andromeda could hardly breathe, "Please…"

Without hesitation, Garrus drove deeply into her, releasing her arms in favor of grasping her waist. Andromeda wrapped her legs around him and, using her left hand, grabbed his fringe, pulling his head back. Garrus' eyes were wild and primitive as Shepard's right hand dug between his collar plates and her teeth clamped down on his neck. Garrus' growl deepened and his motions became fiercer. Moaning, she was forced to let go with her teeth and her hands dug in hard as Garrus sped up. She screamed as Garrus' talons dragged down her leg, leaving parallel red lines along the pale skin of her thigh. Hips buckling wildly, Andromeda cried out, "G-Garrus!" as she came. She tried to breathe, but it was impossible. Waves of pleasure and heat radiated outwards from his length and her cry became a wordless shriek as she slipped under in ecstasy.

Unrelenting, Garrus continued to pound deeply inside her, clenching his teeth and snarling in satisfaction. His talons groped her, mercilessly, tracing red lines down her back and across her breasts. The Reaper War, her responsibility to Earth, anything and everything, Andromeda was beyond caring, at that moment, she was only Garrus'. The only thing that mattered was the heat and passion of the moment, their bodies writhing against each other and resonating together with pleasure. Anxiety, relief, loneliness; every emotion she had felt since being separated from him burst from her chest, roiling together into a single, awesome realization; Garrus was alive, and he was hers tonight.

Andromeda's eyes rolled backwards and her screams became a keening wail as a second and a third orgasm tore through her body in rapid succession; no clear separation between the two. A gush of fluid pushed past Garrus' length inside her, soaking him and the sheets beneath them. For Garrus, the tension of the moment built to its peak. Andromeda's body was taut and Garrus felt her walls clenching around his length rhythmically. Garrus' mandibles flared open and he let loose with a roar of passion. The moment stretched and time stopped; he pushed in as deeply as he could, filling her with his seed. Whiteness cut into the peripheries of his vision as he climaxed and he heard Andromeda scream as a fourth and final orgasm tore through her body.

The moment drew to a close and Garrus felt the wildness ebbing away. As his eyes cleared, he slipped out of Andromeda. Her slender legs unlocked from his waist and laid on the bed, limp at the calves, but trembling slightly at her thighs. Garrus' seed, mixed with her own wetness, dripped from her folds, pooling on the sheets under her. Angry red lines stood out sharply against the pale of her skin, her breathing was shallow.

"Garrus…" she whispered, eyes closed.

Panic seized Garrus, he'd been too rough, let himself hurt her. Cursing, he scrambled up and began rummaging through her nightstand, looking for the medigel he knew she kept handy. Finding it, he spun around, but Shepard was… laughing. Relief flooded through Garrus, but he injected a single dose anyways.

"You… Stupid… Turian," she whispered. "Stop worrying Garrus; that was _amazing_."

Relieved and sated, Garrus laid down, holding and spooning her from behind. His talon traced one of the red scratches running down her side; it would be gone by the morning. As the scent of her hair enveloped him, Garrus found a peace he had not known for months. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but his mind remained resolutely blank. There were no words for the moment, no expression for his relief. Holding her and listening to her breathing, now long and deep, Garrus closed his eyes, contented. Sleep rushed in to embrace them both.


	3. Leng

**Sorry about the lull people. This chapter's got a lot more action than the previous two. I chose to skip past the events of Priority: Tuchunka. Let's face it, Bioware really did themselves justice on that one. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I decided to just jump past it. I expect future chapters will skip past other events that I have no interest in elaborating upon as well.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Leng**

Garrus sat back, reclining deeper into the couch, a data pad next to him. Since he and Shepard had been forced to separate, he'd made a habit of reading about human customs and culture in his free time. Today, however, he had little patience for it. Sipping at the drink in his right hand, he stared out the Port observation window at freighters, refugee ships, and military vessels moving to dock at the Citadel. Looking out, things looked normal, but for some reason, the Normandy hadn't been granted permission to dock. In fact, a large number of vessels seemed to be drifting without purpose, moving from one docking berth to another. Something was wrong… a communication malfunction perhaps?

Garrus breathed out deeply. The last two weeks had been a difficult one for everyone. After rescuing Jack and her students at Grissom Academy, the Normandy had paid a visit to the remnants of Arcturus Station. It had been a sobering sight, the nerve center of the Alliance gutted and destroyed. Around it, the husks of the entire Second Fleet drifted, cold and devoid of life. Garrus remembered Andromeda's hand clenching around his as the sight filled the Normandy's displays. Her mother was captaining the SSV Orizaba at the time and was almost certainly present when the Reapers had opened fire on Arcturus Station and the fleets defending it. Preliminary scans showed no wreck that could conclusively be identified as the SSV Orizaba, however, Reapers had chased the Normandy from the area before a full scan could be completed. The ship's current MIA listing as well as the possibility that Hannah Shepard had been on Arcturus Station during the attack meant the preliminary findings had brought Andromeda little comfort.

His own family had made a panicked broadcast to him, bounced via the few remaining comm buoys left around Palaven. It sounded as though they were alive, but being chased from one refuge to another. Garrus wondered how long they'd be able to stay alive like that, especially with Solana's injury. Garrus reminded Andromeda that they could do little more than hope in the interim, that their missions were giving everyone they'd left behind a fighting chance in the long run, but his words sounded hollow to even himself.

Garrus' mind wandered and flashbacked to a moment they'd shared between missions.

_He and Shepard had gone down to the Salarian home world of Sur'Kesh to rescue the last of Maelon's female Krogan volunteers. Somehow, the renegade STG scientist had managed to create a functional cure for the genophage, a cure that Wrex had demanded for his entire people. Garrus had his reservations on the matter, but the Primarch had agreed to support the cure in exchange for Krogan infantry support on Palaven. _

_As the Salarians ran final medical tests on the Krogan, now named Eve, and prepared her for transport to the Normandy, Garrus had found Shepard staring out at the rainforests of Sur'Kesh from one of the STG base's many vistas. _

"_It's so beautiful, Garrus," she said, "I wonder if we'll ever get a chance to see beauty like this again after the Reapers."_

"_Shepard…" he said, placing a hand on her shoulder._

"_There's just so much to do, Garrus, and… I don't know if I can. Every day we wait, more and more people die on Earth. We had rainforests like this on Earth too, but now? Do you think the Reapers would leave something like this intact?" she asked, turning to him with tears in her eyes._

"_Shepard… you're doing your best and we're all here to help you. In fact, I had Cortez bring something special back for us, a little pick me up," he replied, drawing a bottle of wine out from behind his back._

_Shepard gave a watery laugh, wiping her tears. "Garrus, I'm sorry…"_

"_No, don't be. It's not easy on anyone, but we're all here for each other. I'm here for you. It doesn't matter what happens tomorrow, Shepard. What matters is that we can enjoy this rainforest and this sunset tonight…"_

Sitting there with Andromeda, their legs dangling over the balcony, watching the sun set, and sipping the light wine, Garrus couldn't help but worry for her. Andromeda did her best to crack jokes, flirt, and keep up a positive, unshakable attitude, if only for the sake of the entire squad's morale. For the most part, it worked well, especially on crew like James Vega, but Garrus could tell it was getting harder for Andromeda. Something had hardened in her eyes over the last two weeks, yet she'd become more vulnerable than he'd ever known her to be. When he and Andromeda were alone, it wasn't hard for him to see the despair and stress tearing her down, bit by bit. For a Turian, sparring and sex were enough to hold those emotions at bay, but humans needed more. There had been sex, plenty of it as far as he was concerned, but some nights, Garrus made sure to just hold her as she drifted off into uneasy sleep. He wasn't the best at expressing his worries and assuaging hers, but Andromeda seemed to understand, appreciating and taking comfort in his company and concern.

To be fair, Shepard had already accomplished a feat he would have thought impossible. The Krogans, now cured of the genophage, had entered into an alliance with the Turian Hierarchy. Within hours, Krogan forces would be setting foot on Palaven to do battle alongside the Turians; a historical first. Even the Rachni had come back from extinction to throw in their lot with the growing alliance. Garrus set down his drink, barely touched; maybe they all did have a chance against the Reapers. If Shepard could unite every race into a united front… it was their best, their only chance, and Garrus would be with Andromeda each step of the way.

The Normandy had begun to move, but… away from the docking berth. Behind him, the door hissed open, revealing Andromeda, her features strained.

"Garrus, I need you to come with me. Cerberus has taken the Citadel, we're going to C-Sec HQ."

"Always when I'm on break…" quipped Garrus, casting a sad glance at his almost untouched drink.

Andromeda's face cracked into a genuine, if strained smile as she turned for the elevator.

* * *

"Why didn't we just clear a zone at the docks, Lola?"

"Some girls aren't impressed with ham-fisted and front door approaches, Lieutenant."

Garrus turned to Vega, "If C-Sec HQ falls, we'll have no way to coordinate a counterattack on Cerberus. One cleared dock won't make a difference."

"C-Sec HQ on screens, Commander, you might want to take a look."

Shepard activated a display, bracing for the worse, and getting it. The front of the C-Sec headquarters had been turned into a battle field. Skycars lay broken and on fire, C-Sec officers and Cerberus troopers hunted each other in a deadly game of hide and seek. One Cerberus squad had been caught out in the open, cut down by C-Sec like puppets from their strings. On the other end of the plaza, Shepard saw three Turians surrounded by Cerberus, on their knees. Her fist clenched as she watched the squad leader walk up behind one and slit his throat, while two other troopers shot the other Turians execution style.

Andromeda kicked the side of the shuttle open, flicking off the safety of her rifle at the same time. In a single fluid motion, she raised the barrel of the gun and let a single round loose, planting it dead in the Cerberus squad leader's forehead. As his men turned to look at the fountain of blood where his neck used to be, Andromeda pulled the bolt back, ejecting the spent thermal clip and slapping a new one into the rifle. She raised the gun again, but the shuttle had already turned, blocking her shot.

"Nice shot, Lola," whistled Vega.

The ground raced upwards as the shuttle banked sharply and found a clear landing zone.

"Keep your shots tight and watch your sixes, it's a shooting gallery out here."

Garrus felt numb. All around him, chaos and devastation reigned. Cerberus had completely blindsided C-Sec, a fact attested to by the bodies. All around him, C-Sec officers laid face down, their eyes blank and unknowing. Many of them had been gunned down without a fight, an inside job. Snarling, Garrus swore to himself that he would pay Cerberus back ten-fold for each dead officer.

The squad had found Commander Bailey, wounded, but alive. Leaving him to monitor communications and to coordinate the response, they'd pushed onwards, killing any Cerberus forces they encountered.

"Damn, I _love_ this rifle," shouted Garrus, nailing a Cerberus Centurion crouching behind a desk.

"Fuck!" It was Vega's voice. Garrus turned to see James' kinetic barriers flare and die as the last Cerberus Guardian plugged away from behind a massive shield. With nowhere to go, Vega had little choice but to stand his ground, blazing away with his rifle. The rounds pinged off the shield ineffectually, some ricocheting back and forcing Garrus to duck.

The Guardian, moving in for the kill, dipped his hand to reload his gun. Suddenly, a hole blossomed in the top of the shield and the Guardian's blood and brains drenched the stairs behind him. Andromeda stood up from her cover, calmly reloading. Strutting forward, she brushed past Vega towards Garrus, laying her hand gently on his chest. "Thanks for the armor-piercing rounds, Sweetie," she said, winking over her shoulder at a disgruntled Vega, "You always get me the nicest things."

* * *

"Bailey, looks like they got the Executor and two Salarian bodyguards," Shepard said, sweeping the room with her rifle.

"Damn. All right, keep searching. If you don't see the Councilor's body, don't count him out yet."

"Shepard, something's moving out there!" hissed Garrus from the window.

Andromeda crossed over and saw a chair rolling slightly, as though someone had bumped into it on accident. Sure enough, the Salarian Councilor chose that moment to deactivate his cloaking device, standing up and peering about. "Found him. He looks unharmed."

"Get him somewhere safe!" shouted Bailey.

Andromeda motioned to Garrus and Vega, indicating they should get downstairs. No sooner had the two left the Executor's office, Andromeda heard a thud and a gasp from behind her. Turning around, she saw a dark figure advancing menacingly upon the Salarian Councilor. Andromeda's heart pounded in her chest, she had to get down there to protect the Councilor. The Executor's window was designed to be bullet proof, but Andromeda doubted it had been designed to withstand impacts from shots like Garrus' custom armor piercing rounds at point blank. As Andromeda pulled the trigger, the window exploded outwards in a hail of glass. Jumping down, Andromeda reloaded quickly, bringing her rifle up to bear.

The assassin turned, momentarily surprised, but quickly vaulted, putting the Salarian Councilor between Shepard and himself. Andromeda could see a glowing Cerberus symbol in the center of his chest piece. The rest of his body looked… synthetic. His legs, arms, even his eyes seemed to have been replaced by cybernetics. The assassin raised his gauntlet, revealing a weapon embedded into his palm.

"Don't even think about it," threatened Shepard, her finger tightening on her rifle's trigger.

"Shepard. He's going to kill us all," said Valern, panic cutting into his voice.

"Stay calm, Councilor. He's just one man," said Shepard in a level voice.

"I mean Udina. He's staging a coup. The other Councilors are headed for a trap."

Shepard kept her gun leveled at the assassin, "We'll get them too Councilor." As Garrus and Vega arrived, guns drawn, Shepard directed her words to the assassin, "Three on one pal. It's over."

"No. Now it's fun," the assassin said with a grim smile.

"Who are you?" demanded Andromeda.

"My name is Kai Leng. I'm the Illusive Man's right hand and I'm about to make sure you _never_ inconvenience him again!" shouted the assassin, charging his weapon for discharge.

At the exact moment, Thane materialized from behind a desk, pointing a gun at Leng's head. As Leng spun around to disarm him, Shepard tackled the Councilor, knocking him to the ground. Pushing him under a desk, she glared at him, making sure he knew to stay put. Above, Thane and Leng were engaging in a series of brutal and swift blows. Rolling away from Leng, Thane drew his gun, but Kai had already cloaked, disappear from sight. Shepard motioned to Garrus and Vega, both of whom stood at guard at both sides of the desk Valern was hiding under.

Suddenly, Leng rematerialized, charging Thane and dodging his shots. The two danced once again, a whirlwind of metal and sparks as Leng's sword met Thane's pistol. Finally, Thane managed to knock Leng back with a biotically charged punch. Shepard tried to line up a shot, but the two charged together almost instantly. Andromeda's eyes widened in disbelief as Leng stood up, Thane crumpling at his feet with wound to the chest by Leng's blade.

"You Bastard," she whispered. Garrus ran forward, kneeling to check Thane's vitals while Vega dragged the Salarian Councilor to the door. Andromeda activated her own cloak, vaulting over a small railing to cut off the assassin's escape.

As her cloak expired, she brought her fist forward in a brutal uppercut towards Leng, omni-blade flicking outwards. The assassin moved fast, almost inhumanly so. In a flash of silver, Leng parried her omni-blade, pulled back, and thrust forward with his sword. Andromeda swept her Mantis sniper rifle down, knocking his blade away from her body. Leng snarled and kicked out with his leg. The force was tremendous as his augmented leg slammed into her arm, overloading her kinetic barriers and knocking her off balance. Shepard cried out, dropping her rifle. As Leng raised his sword arm, she suddenly closed the distance, grabbing his wrist, while thrusting her omni-blade. The assassin's arm came down, grabbing her forearm. Leng bulled forwards, slamming Andromeda into wall and knocking the breath out of her chest.

Leng leaned in close, leering, "I'm going to enjoy cutting that pretty face and body of yours, Shepard. Slice. By. Slice."

Andromeda pushed back, but the assassin's cybernetic arms did not yield. "Fuck you!" she screamed. Leng's sword arm pressed down harder, his blade shaking slightly as it pressed closer to Andromeda's eyes.

"Speaking of which," he said, pressing even closer, "how _does _it feel to be fucked by alien cock every night? You _disgust_ me. You're a filthy whore, and I'm going to do humanity a favor. First I'll gut you like the animal you are. Then I'll dissect your Turian boy-toy, starting with his legs."

Andromeda snarled, "You're an unbalanced dog, Leng, and I mean that in two ways." She brought her knee up, brutally driving it between Leng's legs. As the assassin's arms slackened, she pushed him back and drew in her leg, delivering a straight kick to his chest. Leng flew back, slamming against the wall and baring his teeth in anger.

"My, my. _That's_ not artificial is it?"

"Shepard!" Garrus and Vega appeared at the top of the stairs, weapons drawn.

"I'll remember that next time, Cunt, and I'll make sure you die slowly," said Leng from behind gritted teeth. With that, he ran and jumped off the building, landing on the roof of a skycar piloted by one of his lackeys. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some other Councilors to kill."

Andromeda scooped up her rifle as Garrus and James opened fire, leaving holes in the skycar, but ultimately failing to bring the vehicle down. "We've got to go after them," shouted Shepard, making a beeline for a red skycar parked nearby.

* * *

Garrus opened the door to the port observation deck, smiling; Councilor Sparatus had just sent him a recording of his conversation with Andromeda before she'd come for him and the Primarch on Menae. Grabbing his abandoned glass, he sipped experimentally before pouring the contents down the drain. The ice had melted, watering the drink down worse than the bartenders at Omega. As he washed the glass, his data pad caught his eye. Spirits, he'd left it turned on, anyone could have been reading it. Setting the glass to dry, he stared at the device inquisitively. It didn't _look_ like it had been moved since he set it down…

"Garrus, should you be in the main battery calibrating the Thanix cannon?"

Garrus jumped, snatching the data pad up. "Liara, I didn't hear you come in." Garrus felt slightly uncomfortable. The Asari's smile seemed a little too wide for his comfort.

Taking a seat and crossing her legs, Liara asked, "Where'd Shepard go?"

"She's debriefing the Council. They're all fine. We managed to stop Cerberus assassins from beating us to them. Kaiden pulled a gun on Shepard, but she put a bullet in between his eyes."

"That's not what my sources say…" said Liara with a hint of a smile.

"No, but it would've been more fun that way," Garrus conceded, "I'm just kidding. I like Kaiden enough, I just wish he'd give Shepard a break and take her at her word."

Liara nodded. "She should be back by now."

"She's got a bunch of errands to run on the Citadel. Also, I think she wanted to visit Thane. He was hurt pretty badly by Kai Leng."

"He's run into some of my men before. He might just be one of Cerberus' most rabid dogs."

"I noticed… Thane made me swear to take care of her."

Liara nodded again, "You're trying Garrus." The corners of her lip twitched upwards again, "Or is all that reading just for leisure?"

Garrus shuffled nervously, "How'd you know? Did you read…?"

"I'm the Shadow Broker, Garrus," laughed Liara. "But seriously."

"I… I don't know if it's the right time," mumbled Garrus. "The books and vids all say that timing is crucial."

"She needs you more than ever, Garrus. The entire galaxy is crumbling, the Reapers could kill us all tomorrow. Just look outside," she said, gesturing towards the Citadel and the evidence of the Cerberus Coup, "We could all die tomorrow. If that's not the right time, I don't know when it will be."

Garrus lowered his eyes to the data pad, "You're right. I just hope I do it right. Turians don't have anything like this."

Liara stood and put her hand on his arm, "She loves you, Garrus, just be yourself. You'll be fine."

* * *

Andromeda leaned back in her seat, nursing a drink. It was refreshing, very refreshing, after a long day debriefing the Council, rescuing the Volus ambassador, and saying good bye to Thane. All in a day's work. Being with Thane at his final moments had been difficult, but Andromeda was glad that he had found peace at the end, relieved of life's burdens.

Jack had sent word to meet her in Purgatory. Even though she'd been reluctant to meet for a drink at first, Andromeda was glad she decided to come; it was a much needed break and distraction from everything else. Jack looked good, she'd finally found something worth fighting for. As she went on about how her students were doing on the front lines providing support, Andromeda smiled, happy that she'd finally found a peace looking after other biotically gifted students.

"Shepard, are you even listening?"

Andromeda blinked, "Sure, Jack, sounds like you've found everything you ever wanted."

"Yeah… and… Shepard? Thanks. You really saved our asses at Grissom."

"I'm glad we got those kids out of there."

"Yeah, yeah, save the girl scout stuff. Hey, how's Garrus?"

"He's been really good to me," Andromeda said, swirling her drink absentmindedly, "I don't know what I'd do without him. Sometimes, this whole war just feels like it's crushing me, slowly, squeezing all my emotion and energy down to nothing. Then he comes and gives me something solid to hold on to."

Jack snorted derisively, "You were always a pussy, Shepard."

Andromeda laughed, "And you were always a softie underneath."

"Shove it, Shepard," said Jack, without malice, "But if the responsibility's too much to handle, maybe he can help relieve you of some."

"He already does."

Jack gave a huge grin, one that scared Andromeda for some reason. "Not what I meant Shepard."

Andromeda leaned back cautiously, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You study much about Turian culture Shepard?"

"I… what?" asked Andromeda, thrown by the sudden change of topic.

"Just answer the fucking question."

"When I was being held by the Alliance, I couldn't even check my mail on the extranet. Since then… there's been a war on, I haven't read anything that wasn't a report on the Reapers."

"You love him Shepard? You'd do anything for him?" asked Jack, sucking on a cocktail olive from her drink.

"Jack, you're creeping me out."

"I'll take that as a 'yes.' I brought a reading assignment for you, on Turian _Culture_," said Jack, throwing a giant grin and a data pad across the table at Andromeda.

Andromeda turned the device around and started skimming, turning pale.

"Don't be so surprised Shepard. It fits right in with all the rest of their conquering, imperialistic attitude. For what it's worth, I've been there and done that. It's pretty good if you have real trust and love. Otherwise you end up like me, shit…" Jack finished with a mumble.

Andromeda stared at the data pad, mouth hanging open. "Jack…" she spluttered.

"I gotta run Shepard," said Jack, grinning again. Walking around the table, she leaned in close to Shepard's ear, "Enjoy…"

"Jack, wait…" said Andromeda half-heartedly, but the biotic had already walked away. Turning back to the data pad, Andromeda started reading more, feeling a shiver of apprehension and an entirely related sensation of warmth between her legs.

* * *

Garrus sat in the back of a taxi, nervously announcing his destination to the pilot VI.

"Certainly, Officer Vakarian. Would you care for musical accompaniment for the ten point three minute duration of your trip?"

"No thanks."

The taxi took off and joined the stream of traffic towards one of Zakara Ward's fancier districts. Garrus had been tempted to wear his armor, but opted instead for civilian wear, less damn theatrical on the Citadel.

Nervously clasping and unclasping his hands, Garrus tried to enjoy the view as best he could. If it weren't for the smoke and rubble, it would have been nice. The ten minutes seemed to melt away and, as the taxi's doors popped open, his legs propelled him automatically to his final destination.

Spirits, there were so many choices… Garrus swallowed, fighting his panic. He was just scoping out his target. Yes, that was it. He was looking for his target in a crowded, confusing plaza. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself. This was absurd; he could face down Brutes and Cerberus assassins, but was panicking now? Garrus wheeled around, disoriented, and felt an insane urge to abandon his pursuit. Mission scrubbed, regroup and reassess.

"Officer Vakarian?" a wheezy voice behind him asked, though the tone of voice suggested no uncertainty in the speaker's voice.

Garrus turned around, seeing a Volus merchant at the long counter. Walking towards the Volus, Garrus asked, "Do I know you?"

Ignoring him, the Volus said, "I saw your… indecision… I thought I might be able to help you."

"It's… no, I'm…" spluttered Garrus.

"It's fine… Officer Vakarian," wheezed the Volus, waddling out from behind its counter. "Here."

Garrus took the box at the Volus' invitation, opening it.

"Absolutely flawless… mined from the depths of Neptune… you can see the exquisite quality. All crafted by the most skilled hands on Earth."

"How..." began Garrus, but the Volus had already turned its back and started to make its way back behind its counter.

"It's yours Officer Vakarian… compliments of the Shadow Broker. Good luck."


	4. A Favorite Spot

**Hi Everyone,**

**Sorry for the delay; sickness and other fun stuff in RL.**

**This chapter contains adult material, please read responsibly. If it offends you, wait for the next chapter.**

**All my best.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: A Favorite Spot**

Andromeda stared at herself in the mirror, maybe it was too much? She tossed aside the dress; it wasn't really her anyways. Flopping down on the bed, she sighed explosively. The day had been long, longer than she ever thought it could be. Looking back, she wondered if she'd somehow missed the night hours in the Council debriefing room and spent two days awake. A good theory, but her omni-tool said otherwise.

After leaving Jack, she'd made a quick shopping trip, picking up certain… necessities that Jack's data pad had recommended. Upon returning, she'd tucked her shopping in a discreet storage compartment under her bed. She had thought about delaying the purchase, but this was one receipt she didn't want floating around on the procurement screens for Cortez to see.

Checking her mail, she noticed an email from Garrus. Odd, he'd usually just come to find her, but EDI reported that the Turian was nowhere to be found on the ship. The email asked her to meet him tomorrow at the Citadel for a little "break." Andromeda made a note to herself that she'd have to teach Garrus the meaning of a "date." Whatever Garrus wanted to call it, Shepard wanted to look the part for him, consequently; her current predicament on what to wear when out of uniform.

The door chimed. "Come in," called Andromeda from the bed.

Liara walked in, taking in Andromeda's prone form lying on top of a pile of civilian clothing. "Having trouble deciding on something to wear?"

"Garrus asked me to meet him tomorrow for some R and R at the Citadel."

"Of course he did."

"You're such a creepy Shadow Broker, have I ever told you that?"

Liara laughed and began to pick through the pile of clothes. "I don't know why you're worried, Shepard. You'd look great in any of these. I don't know how you can run in that armor and keep a slim profile."

"Gene mods," said Shepard, nonchalantly, "All N7 operatives get an aesthetics gene package, in case of infiltration missions. People like Vega are too easy to spot."

"And I thought you found a diet that worked… How about this?"

"Too retro," said Andromeda, sticking her tongue out.

"I think he'll like it."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, _no _bar?" teased Andromeda.

"I thought about it, but I think I want to remember today," said Garrus, finalizing their destination with the taxi VI.

The taxi soared upwards, joining a stream of traffic. Turning towards Garrus, Andromeda looked him over. He'd left his armor off, thank goodness. Nothing made her feel as awkward as going out with Garrus, fully decked out in his combat gear. He seemed to have gotten the hang of dressing himself in civilian clothing for their time off, this time choosing a handsome outfit that was casual enough to not attract any curious glances, but well fitting, showing off his body and reminding her of his military background.

"You… um… look great, Shepard," said Garrus, clearly remembering the importance of compliments. "A bit more revealing than usual, but no complaints from my end."

Andromeda smiled, "It's a tank top, Garrus."

"What's that?"

"Pre-spaceflight human tank crews used to wear them because the insides of tanks got so hot. Civilian women began wearing them to show more skin."

"An outfit that has military roots and shows skin? Sexy."

"I thought you'd approve," smiled Andromeda, kissing him on the mandible. "So where are we going?"

"Somewhere we're not supposed to."

"Now you're talking."

* * *

Andromeda stepped out of the taxi, stretching her legs and feeling a gust of wind toss her hair. The view was breathtaking. Below them, the entire Presidium stretched out, curving gently until it faded from view. The virtual sky looked close enough to touch, clouds billowing past. Taxis and other vehicles zoomed under her feet, their occupants unaware of her looking down on them.

Behind her, Garrus was enjoying an equally breathtaking view of her legs. Humans didn't call them short shorts without a reason. He felt a stirring of arousal as his plates shifted slightly, widening away from each other. Garrus reluctantly tore his eyes from her slender, smooth legs; now was not the time he wanted to be walking around with a bulge in his front.

"It's incredible, Garrus."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope it would inspire a certain… mood."

"Something on your mind?" Andromeda asked coyly.

Garrus cleared his throat and fixed his gaze on her. Slowly, he reached behind for something in his back pocket, drawing forth a small box. Andromeda's breath caught in her chest, her eyes widening. Falling to one knee, Garrus held the box out for her, flipping open the top.

"Andromeda Shepard, will you marry me?"

Andromeda didn't know whether to laugh or cry, scream or gasp. Emotions welled up in her chest as she her eyes raked across the scene, desperate to preserve the moment. The wind whipped around them as Garrus remained, kneeling, his eyes simultaneously scared and hopeful. Andromeda looked deeply into them, seeing past the hurt and hardness to a vulnerable, flickering glimmer of hope. She reached out with trembling fingers, plucking the ring out from the box.

"The only thing that made leaving Earth bearable was knowing you were out there somewhere," Andromeda whispered, "I love you, Garrus Vakarian." She stepped forward, cupping Garrus' face between her hands and kissed him, long and full on his mouth, pressing forward and darting her tongue in. Pulling back, she saw a look of bliss and utter contentment cross his face.

"Just two things," she said, more playfully, while setting the ring upon her finger, "One, you know I don't like being called Andromeda. And two, how did you afford this thing?"

Garrus laughed, rising, "The vids said I should use your full name. And… let's just say a mutual friend gave me a hand. Now, before you get too excited, we're going to settle one thing, once and for all."

He strode towards the taxi, pulling out two Mantis sniper rifles from the back seat. He tossed one to her, "Not saying you don't know how to handle a gun, just saying some of us know how to make it dance."

Andromeda grinned and flicked the safety off the rifle, watching Garrus heft an empty bottle. "There are a few people in the galaxy who've seen me in action, Garrus. They seemed impressed."

"Don't worry about missing," he said, "I loaded it with practice rounds."

"You're going down, Vakarian," challenged Andromeda.

* * *

Andromeda sighed and relaxed, putting her head on Garrus' shoulder. She was happier, more at ease, now than at any moment since she'd turned herself over to the Alliance. Their rifles lay, abandoned, at their feet. Garrus had made some amazing shots, but she'd kept pace, impressing him with a series of equally impossible shots.

_Down to their last two bottles, she waited until the wind got particularly tricky, eddies of air forming all around them. She let loose as hard as she could, but Garrus took the bottle down without batting an eye. As Andromeda prepared to take her last shot, she hesitated. Garrus had given her a day she'd treasure forever. The beautiful scenery, a romantic proposal, even the silly bottle contest, it was all perfect. As Garrus tossed the bottle into the air, Andromeda held her finger back for a fraction of a second, letting loose with a round that just barely missed the bottle. _

"_I'm Garrus Vakarian! And this is now my favorite spot on the Citadel!"_

Now, leaning against Garrus, she'd found peace in the universe. Today, there was no Reaper war. Today, Commander Shepard had no responsibilities. Today, she was only Garrus Vakarian's.

"There, there. It's okay. I know there are other things you're good at."

Andromeda leaned up, kissing him seductively, "You have _no idea._"

Garrus' eyes widened, "Shepard, we're out in public. There are people down there!"

"Yeah, and there are 137 regulations preventing them from coming up here and getting a good look. Besides," Andromeda said, pushing him towards the open taxi, "I've been saving something special for you."

Garrus let Andromeda push him backwards, falling down on the back seat of the vehicle.

"Registering passenger re-entry. Reminder: Your meter is still running. Would you care to state your new destination?"

Completely ignoring the taxi VI, Shepard leapt on top of Garrus, straddling him around the waist. Wasting no time, she began to attack the zipper on Garrus' pants, moving down as she pulled them and kneeling at his feet.

"Taxi, deactivate yourself until-" Garrus' directions were interrupted by a sudden, involuntary gasp.

"This taxi will be deactivated until it receives the keyword 'Initiate.' Please-"

"Fine!" interrupted Garrus, relieved at the sudden quiet. "Shepard, what was that?"

Andromeda reappeared from between his legs, wiping her mouth with a smile. "Did you like that?"

Garrus groaned, "Do it again!"

Leaning back in, Andromeda pulled Garrus' pants lower, leaving them bunched at his calf spurs. His groin plates had already shifted, revealing a purple-blue slit underneath. Slowly, deliberately, without breaking eye contact with Garrus, she extended her tongue, running the tip of it up the slit. Garrus' entire body tensed and his mandibles spread wide, in wordless ecstasy. Smiling, Andromeda continued to lick, each pass eliciting a gasp from Garrus. Slowly, his phallus pushed out from inside, extending to its full length.

Andromeda ran her tongue up the side of his shaft, keeping eye contract all the time, smiling. "We haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

Garrus tried to reply, but no words came. He felt himself sinking deeper into the pure, animal bliss that he always felt when he and Shepard had sex. It was all he could do to remain lying on his back, fighting the urge to grab Andromeda, tear her clothes from her, and satisfy both of them in the typical fashion.

Slowly, Andromeda ran her tongue along a series of ridges on the sides of Garrus' shaft, dragging a strangled sound of frustration from him. Pleased, she continued to apply her ministrations. Humans had most of their nerve endings concentrated at the head of the penis, but Turian evolution had decided to put the erogenous zones on ridges on the sides of the shaft.

Suddenly, Andromeda grabbed Garrus' length at the base with her hand, causing the Turian's eyes to fly open in surprise. "Shepard?" he gasped.

Wordlessly, but holding his eyes captive, Andromeda lowered her mouth down on his length. Garrus groaned as she allowed him deeper, using her lips to rub against his ridges. Letting go with her hands, she went as deep as she could comfortably and then brought herself back up.

Garrus' vision narrowed as Andromeda's head continued to bob up and down. It was an amazing sensation. Her tongue traced his ridges at random, while her lips and throat squeezed his engorged length, sending pleasure racing up his spine. Slurping, liquid sounds, visceral, yet arousing, came from between his legs. Her eyes pierced him, staring back at him with delight. Each moan and thrash that his body made only seemed to excite her more and over the next several minutes, her pace became faster and faster.

"Shepard!" he cried, buckling on the edge of his orgasm, but, suddenly, Andromeda let go, instead, pinning his arms to the seat.

"You didn't think I'd let you finish that easily did you?" she asked with a wicked smile. Deftly, she unbuttoned her shorts, allowing them to drop to her ankles as she stood. Her panties followed, soaked through by her arousal. In one fluid motion, she entered the vehicle, turning herself around to face his swollen member, while presenting herself to his face.

Garrus' eyes dilated sharply as her scent reached his nose. They flickered down from her waist to between her legs and her engorged lips; her thighs glistening with her dew. The smell was intense, intoxicating, _enrapturing_. Teasingly, she lowered herself closer to Garrus' nose and mouth. Garrus' thoughts froze, his mind overwhelmed by the intense sensations of her hand caressing his length and her scent, so close and intense.

Spreading his mandibles, he swiped his tongue out, running it along the length of her lips, catching every drop of her that he could. Andromeda moaned and ground herself down upon his mouth. Stifling a scream, she bucked her hips rhythmically, rubbing herself on Garrus's mouth. Garrus felt moisture trickling down the sides of his mandibles and drove his tongue upwards, deep into Andromeda, dragging a frustrated scream out of her.

Without slowing her hips, Andromeda turned her attention back to Garrus' shaft, plunging it deeply into her throat. Time crawled to a standstill for Garrus as he continued to lap up every drop of Andromeda that he could. Her taste, her scent, all over his face; he'd never been so aroused in his life. He drove his tongue into her, pushing deeper, anything to taste more of her. From between his legs, Andromeda began to scream, her voice muffled by his member in her throat.

In a single, explosive moment, time stopped for Garrus as his vision narrowed to a pinpoint. He could feel his pulse pounding into his member, swelling it. There was no going back now, no return. He grabbed Andromeda by the head, driving her downwards and, himself, upwards. The pulsations reached a constant throb and he came hard, crying out in relief between her legs and holding Andromeda down as she struggled, gagging. At the same time, Andromeda's thighs squeezed his mandibles and her swollen lips pressed down hard on his open mouth. The muffled gagging sounds were joined by a long, wild scream, distorted by her coughing and his intrusion in her throat. Garrus suddenly found himself doused in her scent, licking and swallowing as best he could, blinking it out of his eyes as Andromeda continued to grind, thrashing out of control above him.

Continuing to lick, Garrus heard Andromeda cough one final time and felt her lifting her head off his shaft, moaning. Rolling off Garrus, she collapsed in a heap on the floor of the taxi, her legs trembling and his seed dripping from the corner of her mouth. A tear ran from her eye, following the curve of her face as it traced a path downwards. Garrus bolted upright, a sudden, seizing fear clutching his chest: He had hurt her, been too rough. He opened his mouth, willing himself to say something, anything to apologize. A Human would never have hurt or demeaned her like that…

Even as his mind raced to come up with the words to set things right, Andromeda stirred, pushing herself upright into a sitting position. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, making small sounds between her coughs. Laughter. Relief flooded through Garrus and he dropped backwards listlessly. Beneath them, the sound of sky cars continued, unabated.

* * *

"Would a Turian woman be able to do that for you?" asked Andromeda.

Garrus opened an eye. Andromeda had crawled back on top of him and was lying on his chest, her legs rubbing gently against his. "No, something to do with razor sharp teeth…"

"That's a shame," smiled Andromeda. "On the other hand, I don't think you'll ever want to trade me for a Turian woman now."

Garrus groaned. Spirits, he felt so contented, unable even to summon the will to wipe his face. Instead, he simply lay there, feeling Andromeda's dew dry and her scent begin to fade. "I knew you were holding out on me."

Andromeda stuck her tongue out playfully, "Don't blame a girl for keeping some things back for special occasions."

"I can't wait until the wedding if that's what you had in store for me now."

"Garrus… this means a lot to me. Turians don't have a marriage custom right?" asked Andromeda.

"We do things a bit differently… but colony marks are similar to the concept of your wedding bands."

"Blue's not really my color," joked Andromeda.

"You don't have to, I don't-"

"I _want_ to, Garrus," interrupted Andromeda. "Maybe not permanently, but for the wedding; of course."

The two of them went silent, each content to simply hold the other and recover from the wildness.

"Shepard? Do you hear that?"

Andromeda strained her ears, then scrambled off Garrus, eyes wide. "Damn!"

"Did someone see us?" demanded Garrus, desperately pulling his trousers up.

Andromeda curled up, succumbing to a fit of giggles.

"It's not funny, Shepard. I'd hate to see you use Spectre status to get us out of this," said Garrus, running out and collecting their rifles. Tossing them into the car, he also paused to scoop up her shorts, throwing them at Andromeda.

"Initiate, Initiate, damn it!" yelled Garrus, pounding at the dashboard.

"Please input destination. Your meter is still-"

Andromeda broke off from her fit, interrupting the taxi VI, "Purgatory nightclub, and do it fast."

The taxi lifted and soared off, slotting itself into a fast traffic lane. Grinning and breaking into a fresh fit of giggles at the mortified expression on Garrus' face, Shepard kicked back and heard the sound of the sirens drop off.

"I think you left my panties back there."


	5. Homeworlds

**Hi Everyone,**

**A shorter chapter here, but I hope you all enjoy. I'm astounded and flattered by the number of people reading, following, and making this fan fiction their favorites. It's my hope that you'll all see fit to leave some comments or reviews so that I have a little feedback to work with. It also helps to attract new readers to the fold. To everyone who's already taken the time to leave a thought or two; thank you all so much. You guys keep me writing.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Homeworlds**

Garrus' eyes opened, slowly, blinking away the filmy sensation of an interrupted night of sleep. The clock at the head of the bed indicated it was morning. Very early, but experience had taught him that it would not be worth trying to get back to sleep.

"_Tell Garrus… I guess there's nothing I can say to make it right… I'll try, Garrus. I'll make it up to you, somehow."_

Garrus had felt anger, fury. Andromeda had cost his men the peace they'd deserved, but he couldn't pull the trigger, not after seeing Sidonis' eyes: survivor's guilt, the same guilt that he carried. Now, looking back, he realized that Andromeda hadn't just saved Sidonis' life that day, she'd saved his soul as well.

Blinking again, Garrus felt alertness returning to his eyes. Beside him, Andromeda breathed gently, still asleep. Her arm wrapped around him, resting lightly on his chest. Gingerly, he lifted her arm and set it down on the bed. Then, as carefully as he could, he lifted her leg slightly, twisting out from under it. Holding his breath, he eased off the bed. Andromeda shifted positions, tossing, but remained asleep.

His eyes lingered on her profile, taking in every detail. The smooth skin, her chest rising and dropping slightly as she slept, his ring, hanging on a chain from her neck, reflecting the soft glow of the alarm at the head of their bed; she was the most beautiful woman in the Galaxy, and now, she belonged to him. Why had she chosen him? His fingers unconsciously touched the scars running down his face and across his chest. There was a whole galaxy out there, yet she had come to him.

He looked back down at her; the Hero of the Battle of the Citadel, the woman who'd defeated the Collectors, the Human who'd cured the Genophage, made peace between his people and the Krogan, hell, she'd even managed to end the war between the Quarians and Geth, both of whom had now joined to fight the Reapers. Andromeda was one of the last bright spots in a galaxy that was rapidly growing dark… and she'd chosen him. Emotion welled up in his chest; he'd never betray that honor, he'd stay at her side until the end found them both.

Last night, coming back to the Normandy from Rannoch, she'd practically collapsed into bed. He knew Legion's sacrifice to bring sentience to the Geth had weighed heavily on her, but the darkness in her mood seemed to be beyond just her grief for him. There wasn't much he could do about it for now; last night it had seemed wisest not to push the subject and he'd simply held her as she fell into uneasy sleep. Right now, all he could do was wake her up and interrupt what little rest she'd allowed herself. With that in mind, Garrus dressed quietly so as to not wake her up, left the loft, and called the elevator.

* * *

Stepping out on the crew deck, Garrus made his way to the ship's mess, pulling a drink out of the refrigerator.

"I see you couldn't sleep either."

Garrus turned around, surprised to have company so early. "Tali, you're up too?"

"Couldn't sleep. My body's still adjusting to the time difference between the Normandy and the Fleet," she said, taking a seat. "It looks like Shepard managed the impossible, again."

"An alliance between us and the Krogan, peace between you and the Geth, if it weren't for the Reapers, the galaxy would be perfect," he remarked, joining Tali at the table.

"It's because of the Reapers that she's been able to do this. Maybe we do have a chance of pulling this off… Between the Geth and the Fleet, we're almost doubling the size of Shepard's allied fleet."

"I'm worried about her. Something's tearing into her," confided Garrus.

"Did you try talking to her about it?" asked Tali.

"She wasn't in the mood last night. I saw what she did to that Reaper on Rannoch and thought it would be best to just let her sleep."

"She'll come around, Garrus. She's never given up yet," said Tali, trying to sound reassuring. "Hey, what are you drinking?" she asked, trying to distract him.

"A Turian breakfast drink. I grew up on this stuff. Shepard made sure Cortez ordered some dextro cuisine last time we were at the Citadel."

"Ahh. Perks from being with the Captain, I see."

Garrus coughed, "We're stocked with Asari cuisine too, so it's not favoritism, not really."

"I'm just kidding, Garrus. I'm just glad I don't have to eat nutrient paste the whole time I'm here."

"I'm going to make us some breakfast," said Garrus, standing, "Have you ever tried Turian _Sanae_?"

* * *

"Garrus! You're making a mess!" giggled Tali.

"Relax, I've been making these since I was… Damn!" exclaimed Garrus.

"Pee-Yew! Your food smells worse than you do, Scars," drawled Vega, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and walking towards the mess.

"Jimmy Vega… why don't you try a bite?"

"Sorry, I'm not an anaphylactic shock before coffee sort of guy."

"I was sort of hoping you'd fall for that one."

"I'm an eggs and bacon sort of guy," said Vega, shrugging and reaching for the refrigerator.

"You'd better watch the diet, Lieutenant, I think you put on a few pounds since you came aboard," said Andromeda, appearing tousled haired and shadows under her eyes.

"And there I was, going to ask if you wanted me to fry you up some, Lola."

"I've seen you cook, Lieutenant," said Shepard, tearing a pouch of instant coffee into a dispenser, "I think I'd rather try some of Garrus'."

"You sure about that, Lola?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm not really hungry, I'll just have a yogurt."

Vega tore the wrapping off a pre-packaged meal, sliding the tray into a heating slot, while Garrus served reddish-orange dumplings onto two plates. Andromeda pulled a yogurt out of the refrigerator, swung back to collect her coffee, and sat down with to others.

"What's the matter, Lola?" asked James, watching Andromeda spoon at her yogurt unenthusiastically, "You've barely eaten since we left Rannoch."

"I'm just… you know what, you guys enjoy breakfast. I'm just going to take a shower," she said, getting up from the table.

Garrus tried to catch her eye as she left, but Andromeda kept her gaze averted. The rest of the crew tried, unsuccessfully, to pass it off casually. Swallowing the food in his mouth, he stood up as well, walking after her. Someone needed to get through to her, the sooner, the better.

* * *

He turned the corner quickly, expecting Andromeda to have already disappeared into the elevator, but, instead, she stood next to the memorial, running her fingers over the fresh edges where Legion's name had been carved. Garrus stepped closer until he was right next to her.

"Shepard…"

"We've lost so many, Garrus… and we haven't even begun to go on the offensive."

"I'd say killing a Reaper at close range with an orbital strike counts as offensive."

Ordinarily, Andromeda would have smiled, but her eyes remained dark, fixed on the names of the dead. Her fingers kept tracing, now moving upwards to the other names.

"When we were leaving Earth… there was a boy. I used to watch him play from my office in Alliance HQ," she began, speaking with unfocused eyes, lost in the past, "When the Reapers came, he hid in a ventilation duct." Andromeda finally raised her eyes and met Garrus' gaze. "He wouldn't let me save him. Later, I watched a Reaper blow up a shuttle filled with civilians and the boy, for no reason other than to kill them."

"Shepard, you can't save them all. You're already doing everything you can. You're bringing together all the races, building alliances, gathering a fleet bigger than anything else the galaxy's ever seen. If there's one person in the galaxy who's doing everything she can to beat the Reapers, it's you."

"Garrus…" she said, unconsciously closing her hand over the ring hanging from her neck, "We've already lost Thane, Mordin, and now Legion… I'm scared at how much it'll cost to beat them."

Garrus reached out to her, drawing her into an embrace. Lowering his head, he touched her forehead to his. "It'll cost more to lose to them. You knew there'd be sacrifice before we even started. Mordin, Thane, Legion, they wouldn't have wanted you to be like this. They left us, but they did so to stop the Reapers, exactly how they would have wanted it."

Andromeda gave a small noise of assent and buried her face in his chest. Holding him tight, she said, "Thanks, Garrus. I needed that."

* * *

"Commander, hell of a job on Rannoch. We couldn't believe our sensors and eyes when Geth and Quarian fleets arrived together, offering to assist with the Crucible."

"Thank you, Sir. I'm glad we were able to work things out here."

"Shepard, you've reconciled races I never thought I'd live to see cooperating to make an entertainment vid, never mind fight a war together. I'd go on, but I wanted to give you some good news first. It's your mother, Shepard. The SSV Orizaba arrived at an Alliance fallback position two hours ago. Your mother's fine."

Andromeda's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. "Thank you, Sir," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"The SSV Orizaba's was heavily damaged during the battle at Arcturus Station. She managed to jump at the relay, but the instability caused the ship to experience a substantial drift. They've been limping without comms to the fallback position since then. A repair crew's going out with the parts they need; they're going to be fine."

"Thank you, Sir, it means a lot to me."

Hackett nodded, but frowned, "Shepard, you've been pushing hard, but I need you to be at one hundred percent. Your crew needs even more. Take some time for yourself, that's an order. Hackett out."

* * *

Andromeda stood inside the elevator, back against the wall. Everything felt unreal, like a dream. Her legs felt shaky and she closed her eyes, relief flooding through her. Her mother was alive… Garrus! He'd want to know as soon as she knew. Andromeda hit the controls, signaling for the crew deck. The elevator hummed and, a moment later, the doors opened.

The sound of cheering burst into the elevator, shocking Andromeda, who stood still, eyes wide for a full minute, listening to the cheers of the crew. Cautiously, she stepped out of the elevator; the sound was coming from the mess area. There was no way news about the SSV Orizaba could have passed that quickly, and even if it did, how many of the crew would connect the dots with the ship and her mother? As she rounded the corner, she slammed into Cortez.

"Cortez?" she asked, surprised.

"Commander!" he exclaimed, practically shouting, "You've got to see this! It's HUGE! And it's just in on the feeds."

Andromeda followed him, even more confused. Cortez led her to the main mess area where the entire crew of the Normandy seemed to have gathered. The feeds were showing some kind of explosion and the crew was going wild. Joker had put his cap on EDI backwards, hugging her from behind as they watched the screens. Liara and Samantha were embracing, hopping and squealing in excitement. Tali and the rest of Engineering were sitting at the table, pounding it and doubling over from some kind of joke. James stood behind the counter with what seemed to be the Normandy's entire liquor supply, alternately blending drinks and stuffing his mouth full of snacks. Andromeda felt a rising sense of unreality as Dr. Chakwas sped past her, spinning on her rolling chair, a glass of Serice Ice Brandy raised high and sloshing down her arm. Only Javik looked anything close to normal, standing to the side of the celebration, all four eyes fixed hungrily at the scenes of devastation.

"Cortez, what's happening?"

"The screens, just look at the screens!" he yelled.

Andromeda looked closer; the explosions… they were _Reapers_ exploding. As she continued to watch the news report, the noise of the entire party faded into a buzz. The reporter's lips were moving excitedly, but she couldn't hear a word. Enormous Reaper ships were lying on the ground, their hatches open. Reaper soldiers milled around, patrolling the perimeter and herding Turians into the ship. Many of the Turians looked like they'd lived through hell for two lifetimes. Andromeda's heart panged, the look of hopelessness on their faces were gut wrenching.

Suddenly, the Reaper detonated, a massive explosion that tore apart the entire ship. The Turians on the outside looked around in utter confusion; even the husks turned to look. Suddenly, the entire operation, which a moment ago had looked grimly efficient and orderly, broke into pandemonium. The Turian prisoners converged on the Reaper forces, knocking them over and pulling the weapons out of their hands. Resistance fighters; Turian and Krogan, suddenly appeared, torching holes in the barriers the Reapers had erected, killing any Reaper guards, and freeing the prisoners. Whoever was shooting the camera footage pulled out, showing Turians all over the camp breaking free of their guards and streaming out into waiting Resistance vehicles. On the horizon, more explosions dotted the sky. The news report switched to an orbital view of Palaven. Even from that distance, it was clear that numerous detonations were taking place, each marking a site where the Resistance had successfully smuggled in warp bombs or attacked conventionally.

Andromeda stared, unable to stop watching, barely able to breathe. It was incredible. They were _winning_ on Palaven. Suddenly, she found herself screaming with the rest of the crew, pounding every shoulder she could find, shaking every hand that was pushed her way.

"Garrus! Where's Garrus?"

"Shepard!"

Garrus appeared, running out of the main battery. Andromeda turned to his voice and ran to him, climbing up the stairs and falling into his arms.

"I just got word from Palaven! My family, my dad and sister! They're alive and helping at a Resistance base!"

Andromeda just smiled, finding no words for the relief she felt. A pleasant thrumming sound came from his chest, telegraphing his intense happiness. Andromeda leaned up, kissing him long and hard. Cheers and clapping erupted from the mess. EDI's speakers came to life, broadcasting a loud wolf-whistle. Andromeda broke off, blushing slightly and laughing with the rest of the crew.

"Admiral Hackett just called me too… my mom's fine," she said in a low voice to Garrus.

His eyes widened in response and he grabbed her for another embrace as she giggled like a schoolgirl, all the stress of the last few weeks melting away. Breaking free, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the party. Today, the galaxy had won against the Reapers. Today, the galaxy had shown the Reapers that they would never accept defeat lying down. Today, they would celebrate, unafraid of anything that tomorrow could bring.


	6. Turian Tradition

**Hi Everyone,**

**I'm sorry for the long wait. When I first started writing, I expected to update every few days, but a number of exciting things came up in RL that took away most of my time. This chapter contains a BDSM sex scene; if such things offend you, skip the chapter and wait for the next one, which I promise will come sometime soon. Otherwise; enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Turian Tradition**

Andromeda awoke, head pounding. Her entire naked body felt bruised, a sure sign that she and Garrus had a few too many drinks at the party and decided to carry on with the party in her quarters. Wincing, she eased out from under Garrus' arm. The holo-clock at the head of the bed seemed all too bright as she straightened and staggered to the bathroom.

"Always drink responsibly, kids," she muttered to herself, opening the medicine cabinet behind her mirror. Her hands felt clumsy as she groped; pills and medigel containers clattered to the floor. Andromeda winced against the bright lights and the sound, but felt her hand close around the injector she was looking for. Holding out her arm, she pressed the injector to her skin and heard the device hiss its contents into her vein.

Over the next few minutes, her head cleared and the lights dimmed back to a reasonable brightness. She raised her head, taking a good look in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and her entire body _was_ covered in bite marks and bruises. Hearing Garrus groan from the bed, she called out, "You really did a job last night Vakarian."

"Spirits… I don't think my head's felt this bad since you pulled me off Omega."

Andromeda laughed and came out of the bathroom, "Here, take these, I kept a few handy, just in case."

"I love you so much right now," he groaned, grabbing the pills out of her hands and chewing them. Slowly, his breathing became less labored and he cracked open an eye, taking in Andromeda's naked form sitting next to him on the bed.

"Spirits, Shepard, you look like a Krogan tried to mount you."

"Just a Turian, but he was almost as good," she teased, swooping down to kiss him on the mandible. "I'm going to use some medigel and shower, come join me when you're ready."

* * *

The crew deck was a sight to see. A line had formed at the med bay where Dr. Chakwas was administering hangover remedies. Those still waiting were pale and subdued. Vega and Cortez lumbered forward, supporting each other. Tali swayed on the spot, her visor darkened to maximum tint. EDI held Joker in her arms, his cap pulled over his face.

Andromeda sat at the table with Garrus, sipping her coffee and tearing into a croissant. Grinning, she watched the grim procession limp forward into the med bay, then exit, one by one, looking _almost_ normal.

"Now I know why Sirta Foundation's stock does so well," she remarked to Garrus.

"I heard Purgatory has an automatic vending machine. You crawl up to it and it figures out what you need. Five minutes and you're ready to kill yourself again; just twenty credits a pop."

"You would know, Vakarian."

"Nah, they didn't have anything like that on Omega. There, you get over your hangover the traditional way: a Batarian steals your omni-tool and leaves you for the Vorcha in some alley."

Andromeda laughed. "You know, I think the crew's been running too tight. Last night was the first time in a long time they've been able to let go and relax. Things aren't going to get any easier and they all deserve to have some downtime," she said around a spoonful of yogurt.

"I really wish you didn't have to remind me there was still a war to win," teased Garrus. "But you're right, a bit of shore leave would do the crew's morale good."

"Then it's settled, I'll have Joker take us to the Citadel. Hopefully the Council will give us a day or two of breathing space." Andromeda leaned in close to Garrus, "And I have just the perfect idea for us…"

"What did you have in mind?" he asked anticipation in his voice.

"I was thinking we'd do something we're not supposed to, break a few regulations."

"Now you're talking."

* * *

It was early evening on the Citadel and a warm breeze ruffled Andromeda's hair. When Andromeda had visited the Citadel after Earth and Palaven, she'd been dismayed at the fastidiously maintained air of normalcy and the status quo. Now, with the Reaper war crushing down on every aspect of life, she found it refreshing; a reminder of everything they were fighting for. Andromeda was glad that the Citadel races still had one refuge where the weary could rest.

She shuddered to think how many would die if the Reapers made an attempt to seize the Citadel. Strangely enough, the Reapers had yet to attack the Citadel directly, instead, occupying the surrounding star clusters and relays. Alliance command believed that the Prothean modifications to the Keepers and, possibly, to the Citadel itself, had rendered the Citadel incapable of disabling the mass relay network; thus rendering the station tactically insignificant to the Reapers. Whatever their reasons for concentrating their operations over in Khar'Shan and Earth, the Citadel government was taking no chances. Beneath the façade of peace, C-Sec and the Citadel fleets were working at a furious pace to ensure the Citadel could hold out against a Reaper invasion if the need ever arose.

As she walked down the busy thoroughfares of Zakara ward, however, the Reaper War took a backseat in her mind. Tonight, she intended to relax, spending quality time with her squad and, later, with Garrus. He'd gone to have dinner with a few of his friends from C-Sec, which left Andromeda free to arrange to have dinner with Normandy's female crew.

"I got us a table at Sundown," said Liara, once they'd all climbed into a taxi.

"Scanning. Sundown is one of Zakara Ward's trendiest restaurants; reservations are typically made three weeks in advance," reported EDI.

"Unless you're the Shadow Broker," muttered Andromeda.

Liara smiled, "I knew some people, EDI, it wasn't much of an issue."

"Not that I don't appreciate it," said Samantha, hesitantly, "but Sundown sounds like it's a bit out of my pay grade."

"That's coming from a girl who bought a 6,000 credit toothbrush?" asked Tali, "I'm a Quarian Admiral and I barely have enough credits to buy shotgun parts."

"Did you really have to spread that around?" hissed Samantha at Andromeda.

Andromeda laughed, "I'm sure Liara also managed to smooth out our bill as well as get a reservation."

Liara winked, "I worked it out with management. We'll eat for free if Shepard gives an endorsement."

Andromeda grinned, "I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite restaurant on the Citadel."

Laughter rocked the vehicle as the taxi wound its way through the night traffic.

* * *

Andromeda leaned back in her chair away from the table. Dinner had been an extremely pleasant affair; the food had been delicious and the squad seemed happier and more relaxed than any time since they'd left Earth. Samantha and Tali giggled, arm in arm, as they alternatively teased EDI about Joker and gave her advice about their relationship.

Andromeda listened in with a smile on her lips. EDI and Joker certainly did represent a unique couple. An unshackled AI learning to love an organic? Andromeda had long ago started to regard EDI as a sentient construct with feelings and a personality, but her relationship with Joker had evolved and matured beyond anything she'd expected. Watching them, she'd seen the line between synthetic and organic blur to the point where it had become irrelevant; it had been one of the major reasons she'd supported Legion's wish that the Geth be allowed to achieve full sentience. If EDI and Joker could learn to love each other, maybe the Geth and the rest of the galaxy could learn to co-exist once the Reapers were gone.

Liara leaned towards Andromeda, interrupting her musings. "That's a beautiful ring on your neck, Shepard," she said with an all too knowing smile.

Andromeda eyed Liara with surprise, her suspicions clicking together in her head. "It was you," she whispered.

Liara nodded and smiled, "He was trying so hard to bridge the gap between your cultures. I just gave him a small… push in the right direction."

"Liara, this ring, it's too much… you shouldn't have."

"Relax, Shepard. The Volus jeweler was more than happy to return the favor when some of my assets rescued his family on Irune. The Shadow Broker's teams rescue civilians where they can whenever they go to Reaper occupied worlds…"

"Liara, I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't have to, Shepard. You're trying to save us all… You deserve to find a bit of happiness for yourself along the way."

Andromeda fingered the ring around her neck absentmindedly. "Garrus did everything a Human would have done… I want to do the same for him."

Liara nodded, "Of course, but Turian culture can be a bit… extreme for the other Citadel races. Some Asari prefer Turians, of course, but it's not a universal taste."

"Humans have been doing it since pre-spaceflight. It's never been mainstream, but it's always been there. I think I might like it…" she said, blushing.

"It's perfectly natural; as I said, I had friends, at the University of Serrice, who preferred Turians for that reason."

Andromeda smiled, "Good enough for me."

* * *

After dinner, Andromeda declined to join the others for a trip to Purgatory under the pretense of having had enough drinks the night before. Liara winked knowingly as she ushered the others into a waiting taxi. Calling her own, Andromeda returned to the Normand's dock. Raising her omni-tool, she sent a text only message to Garrus: Normandy, upstairs, one hour."

Then, boarding the Normandy, she quickly returned to her quarters, showering and making her preparations; anticipation and excitement building between her legs.

* * *

As Garrus stepped off the elevator, he made to open Andromeda's door, but found a hastily scribbled note taped to it.

_You won't need your clothes. My safeword is "Archangel."_

Garrus stared at the note. The first part left no ambiguity as to what Shepard had planned, but the second sentence… surely she didn't mean… He undid his clothes quickly, dropping them on the catwalk for later. Opening Andromeda's door, he found himself peering into relative darkness from the harsh lighting outside. The doors hissed shut and locked, cutting off all light from the outside; the room was now illuminated only by the softest glow of the fish tank. As Garrus' eyes adjusted to the darkness, Andromeda's form materialized on the bed, snatching the breath from his chest.

Andromeda's head faced away from the door, her legs facing him instead. She was on her knees, legs spread wide and hands behind her back. Her upper chest and head rested on the mattress. As she heard him step closer, she raised hips, presenting herself to him. Garrus felt his plates shift and his entire length unsheathe.

Looking closer, he saw that her ankles were bound by leather restraints, tied down by ropes to some anchor beneath her bed. Additional restraints, similarly anchored to the bottom of the bed, pulled her legs apart at her thighs. Her wrists were bound to each other by similar restraints; a leather strip ran up her back, connecting to a matching collar around her neck.

Garrus stepped closer slowly, as though in a dream. Andromeda turned her head as best she could, catching his gaze and made a seductive moan, it was all she could do with the gag in her mouth. Finally, he reached her; Turian mating ritual or not, he was aroused. Andromeda was no less ready; her folds glistened with her excitement, dripping slowly down her thighs.

Reaching the bed and kneeling in front of her on the floor, Garrus breathed in her scent, feeling the arousal and excitement build. Andromeda pushed backwards, trying to touch Garrus' mouth, but he quickly withdrew out of her range. A frustrated moan pushed its way past her gag while she strained against her bonds. Teasingly, Garrus stuck out his tongue, flicking the very tip of it up her folds. For the next few minutes, he tormented her, licking her lightly, but withdrawing as soon as she tried to deepen the contact.

Standing up, he ignored the sound of her frustration and grabbed her leash, pulling it. Andromeda gasped, arching her back and coming up to relieve the pressure on her neck. Her breasts lifted off the bed and stood out proudly. Garrus reached around her with his other talon, pinning a perky nipple between the sharp tips of his fingers. Andromeda let out a distorted scream, choked back by the tightness of the leash and the gag in her mouth. Pulling her even higher, Garrus twisted her nipple, dragging out an even louder cry.

"Are you sure you want this?" he whispered in her ear. His length touched her gently between her legs; she seemed even wetter than a moment ago, dripping down on his shaft. She nodded as best she could, eyes fixed on his.

Garrus relaxed his grip on the leash, allowing Andromeda to drop forward, gasping. Garrus raked his talon across one of her buttocks, raising red lines and causing Andromeda to squeal. Her hips raised higher, opening herself to his whims. Garrus drove his tongue into her, allowing her scent and taste to drive him over the edge of self-control. Andromeda screamed around her gag, pulling hard at her restraints. Her legs tried to squeeze together, but the ropes were drawn taut, keeping them apart. The moans became louder, more insistent, and Garrus felt her walls tighten.

Pulling his tongue out, he positioned himself behind her and drove deeply inside her. Andromeda's eyes bulged as Garrus' length filled her and she felt herself lose control. A fiery ripple emanated from his length through her body and she bit down hard on the gag. Her body shuddering, the first orgasm tore through her, leaving her winded and gulping for air.

Behind her, Garrus began pumping himself in and out of her. The force of his thrusts drove her face and chest deeper into the bed, the restraints around her legs keeping her in place. The sensation was incredible and Andromeda heard herself crying out as loudly as she could around her gag.

Her thoughts became scattered, focusing purely upon the ripples of burning heat and pleasure between her legs. She was now entirely Garrus'; her only purpose at that moment was to give herself to him in any way he wanted and to revel in his raw sexuality. She would have felt demeaned, objectified, by this with any other man, but with Garrus, she felt an elating sensation of liberation and freedom; no responsibilities or duties between her and the pleasure of their bond.

Garrus snarled, driving into her as deeply as he could, again and again. Andromeda cried out, grasping him as tightly as she could and buckling with his rhythm. Sensing an impending orgasm, he grabbed her leash once more, dragging her upwards. Andromeda's screaming became more desperate. Back arched and hips grinding downwards on Garrus' length, she came again. Her walls clenched and a burst of wetness poured out, drenching Garrus and the bed beneath them. The orgasm continued, stronger and longer than any she'd ever had. Her legs trying to clench together in vain, the pressure of the leash as it held her back arched, Garrus filling her to his hilt; it was almost too much for Andromeda, who wailed loudly with the last of the air she had in her lungs, feeling her vision narrow from the intensity of the orgasm.

Garrus let the leash slacken and lowered a moaning Andromeda back down until her head was resting on the bed. Her eyes were unfocused, lost behind curtains of bliss and ecstasy. Saliva dripped out from the corners of the gag and down her chin. As Garrus pulled out of her, her hips dropped slightly and the restraints slackened around her legs, no longer cutting into her trembling flesh.

Garrus moved to the front of her bed, kneeling beside her head. Her eyes looked up at his, regaining some focus. Garrus saw the utter contentment and acceptance behind them, assuring him that she wanted him to follow through with the ritual. With one hand, he gripped her hair, holding her head in place and tilting her head upwards. With the other, he grasped his shaft, pumping it and bringing himself to orgasm. His seed gushed out, pouring over Andromeda's face. Andromeda closed her eyes as hot rivulets of his cum trailed down her face and pooled at her neck and collarbone, listening to Garrus howl.

As the flow tapered off, she opened her eyes again and felt Garrus's talons fumbling behind her head for the gag's clasp. The gag came off, dripping with her saliva and Garrus' ejaculate. Guided by his hand, still gripping her hair, she took him in her mouth and down her throat, tasting both of them on his shaft.

Exhausted, Garrus released Andromeda and collapsed backwards, leaving her bobbing between his legs. She continued to suck greedily, making slurping sounds and swallowing every drop that she managed to pull from him. As his length withdrew and his plates moved to close, he stood, replaced her gag, and cut the ropes binding Andromeda's legs with a blade she'd left on the bed stand. Leaving her tied otherwise, he settled down next to her. What semen remaining on her face, neck, and chest was drying and Garrus stared into Andromeda's eyes. Though the tradition demanded that Andromeda remain gagged and bound until morning as a symbol of their bonding, she found a way to communicate her satisfaction to him, nuzzling his chest gently, happiness dancing in her eyes.

Holding her body to his, caressing her hair, Garrus exhaled deeply and waited for sleep to claim them both.


	7. Defeat

**Hi Everyone,**

**I'm astounded by the number of readers from the last chapter. It was, by far, the most read chapter to date, which tells you a little something about society right? We're getting closer to the epic conclusion of the entire project, the ending. Rest assured, I will be deviating from the official storyline in future chapters and avoiding the "ending" offered by Bioware (having said that, I am very excited to see what they do about EC. Keep your fingers crossed, people, things might work out after all.)**

**Also, a special kudos to Raven Jadewolfe, who always takes the 30 seconds required to leave a small comment! Out of the hundreds of readers following this story, Raven alone has been giving me the validation and attention I crave. I jest, but it'd be wonderful if all you lurkers out there would share an opinion/criticism or two, or just a thank you! Leave some reviews and remember that I'm more than happy to consider special requests in my stories made by readers. Just PM me.**

**All my best.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Defeat **

The alarm's ring shattered the morning silence, rousing both Andromeda and Garrus from slumber. Turning around, Garrus silenced the alarm and hastened to aid Andromeda, struggling with her wrists briefly. In moments, she was completely free and pulled Garrus back down on the bed with a kiss.

"So how was that?" she asked with a wide grin.

"You know we're a bonded pair by Turian standards now, though it's not unusual for Turians to renew their bond periodically…" he said suggestively.

"I was counting on that," she replied, "You raised the bar pretty high, you sure that-"

Her omni-tool suddenly chimed, interrupting her.

"It's Tevos," she muttered, accepting the voice call, "Councilor, can I help you?"

"Shepard, the Asari government on Thessia has just authorized me to discuss certain matters with you. Please, it's urgent. A lot could be at stake."

Andromeda's mind churned. The Reapers had been pressing on Asari borders, but had yet to reach Thessia. From the Councilor's strained tone of voice, it seemed likely that the situation had changed.

"Meet me in Councilor Udina's offices. We can talk more in person," finished the Councilor, terminating the call.

* * *

Udina's office was a nest of activity as C-Sec agents scanned every document, nook, and cranny with their omni-tools. Councilor Tevos stood behind his desk, consulting a datapad. Seeing Andromeda enter the room, she looked up.

"Thank you for coming, Commander."

"Why did you want to meet here?"

"The Council has ordered a full review into Donald Udina's activities; we're still trying to piece together his coup attempt. Anyone who saw you coming would assume that I had asked you here to discuss the coup attempt."

"So what's the news from Thessia?"

Tevos gestured, leading Andromeda outside onto a balcony away from the C-Sec investigators.

"The situation is growing urgent for my people. The Reapers are on Thessia. Our fleet did what it could, repulsing them at the relay with hit and run tactics. Last night, a Reaper fleet arrived and headed straight for Thessia without engaging the fleet. It didn't matter what casualties we inflicted on them; they came with enough to break past our orbital defenses. Once they positioned themselves between Thessia and our fleets, we had no choice but to break off any attacks; the risk of collateral damage was too high. Our fleet is now holding position and trying to keep them occupied with pinpoint attacks, but our Admirals say the rate of attrition is too high. Reaper weapons are more accurate and have longer range than our own." Desperation crept into her voice as she related the arrival of the Reapers to Thessia.

"I'm sorry, Councilor, but you knew this was going to happen."

"Forgive me, Commander… I know the situation on Earth must be worse. I fear Admiral Hackett is right; if we delay our efforts of a coordinated military attack, the Reapers will simply defeat us one at a time. The Reaper fleet around Thessia is only large enough pacify Thessia's orbital defenses. Their fleet around Earth is a magnitude larger. It seems almost like they're just keeping us occupied while they focus on your home world."

Andromeda mulled the Councilor's words over inside. It was true; the Reaper presence in many systems was minimal. In most cases, the Reapers would arrive and engage whatever forces were present in the system. Their numbers would be limited and their operations fell short of anything that could be called complete victory. Even on Palaven, the Reaper fleet had been successfully stalled by Hierarchy fleets and their ground forces decimated in what was now called "The Miracle on Palaven." Still, for all the hopeful signs, the bulk of their fleet remained uncontested around Earth and Kar'Shan. Precious little intelligence was available from the two systems, but most of the reports Andromeda had read were negative, if not downright disheartening.

"Then will the Asari join our allied fleet?" asked Andromeda.

"Yes, you have our word. Additionally, we are aware your crucible is still missing a key component."

"The Catalyst," Andromeda whispered, "Do you know something?"

"Not exactly, but there is an... artifact on our home world on Thessia, known only to highest levels of my government. With any luck, it's a means to help you locate the catalyst. The artifact is kept at a temple located at these coordinates. I've ordered a commando team to hold the sector at all costs."

Andromeda fought a wave of impatience and disbelief. "If this artifact is so important, why keep it hidden? You knew we were building the Crucible, you could have given us access before Thessia came under attack. Maybe we'd even be done by now if we had more information!" she said, barely holding her temper in check.

The Councilor looked away, staring at the skyline of the Presidium. "You have to understand, Shepard," she began, "it sounded like insanity at the time. The Reapers came, decimating Alliance forces and conquering your home world. At the same time, you came to us, claiming to have an ancient super weapon capable of defeating the Reapers. It sounded too good to be true. Now, it seems we can do little, but hope. Whether you know it or not, you've become the sole ray of hope in a very dark night. Goddess be with you."

* * *

"Thessia's under heavy Reaper attack, there's activity over most of the planet!" announced Joker.

Behind him, Andromeda eyed the screens. The Reaper fleet had indeed positioned themselves between Thessia and the Asari fleet. Normandy's scanners revealed several destroyed Reaper ships, obliterated by the Asari as they rushed to Thessia. Once between the Asari and Thessia, however, the Asari fleets had to contend with the real problem of collateral damage. The Reapers, leveraging this against the fleet, had descended into low orbit, landing to deploy ground forces and staying close to Thessia. Out gunned by the Reaper's superior firepower and range and in a tactically disadvantageous position, the Asari fleets seemed to be on the verge of withdrawal.

"What about the temple, can you raise the commando team?" asked Andromeda.

"Negative, all channels across the spectrum are jammed with reports; it doesn't sound good down there or up here. Do you even think there's anyone alive down there?"

"Only one way to find out. Keep Normandy's stealth drives engaged and wait here. We'll take the shuttle, slip past Reaper lines, and get down on the ground."

Liara sprinted into the cockpit, face pale. "Shepard! That's my home down there!"

"Liara," Andromeda started with a quiet voice, "I know how hard it is to see Thessia like this, are you sure-"

"I can't just sit up here and watch! Please, I have to go down… I have to do… something," pleaded Liara.

"Then get to the shuttle; let's get the intel we came for."

* * *

The Reapers seemed intent on harvesting Thessia with minimal damage. The iconic spires and skyscrapers of the Asari, for the most part, remained standing. Fires burned and the ordinarily pristine and serene parks and walkways of Thessia had been turned into battlefields. Still, the Reaper Andromeda could see appeared to be uninterested in mass civilian casualties, striking against military assets and positions rather than burning down building after building as they had done on Palaven and Earth.

"Commander! Asari Commando forward operations base on our screens," reported Cortez.

Unlike the Turians and Humans, Asari had comparatively few standing military forces. The bulk of their infantry were comprised of commando squads; deadly in limited engagements, but definitely at a disadvantage when it came to all-out attrition warfare. Andromeda could only wonder how long the sector could hold out until the commando squads were overrun by the Reaper horde. Even the Asari FOB seemed in danger of being overrun; they had pulled back across a bridge, holding the enemy at bay with biotic barriers and focused fire from two mounted turrets. It was only a matter of time before the commando squad would exhaust their biotic potential, opening the bridge up to the possibility of a full, unhindered charge from husks and cannibals.

Cortez fired the shuttle's belly jets, dropping in to land. Beside the LZ, rows of tarp covered bodies laid. Andromeda saw Liara's eyes taking in the scene in disbelief. Andromeda realized that each fallen soldier under every tarp was a person of hundreds of years of age, one with the potential to live hundreds more. It was a moment of intense vertigo. As she leapt from the shuttle, Garrus' hand brushed her shoulder.

He leaned in close, raising his voice slightly over the noise of the shuttle, but keeping as quiet as he could. "If things are going to be anything like they were on Menae, we'll need to stay frosty. Is Liara going to be alright?"

Andromeda looked back, Liara was still standing next to the shuttle, her gaze fixed on the fallen commandos. "No, she won't be. We weren't on Earth and Palaven… we'll just have to trust her to get through it."

Leaving Garrus and doubling back, Andromeda walked to Liara. "Liara!" she yelled over the shuttle jets, "You can't help them anymore. But there are commandos that are alive right now, dying to hold this sector. We go in, get the package, and help them pull out; it's the only chance any of us have to get out of this alive. I need you to get it together; we all need you."

As their eyes locked, Andromeda saw Liara coming back from whatever thoughts had been consuming her. Blinking, her expression hardened into one of defiance. Andromeda nodded at her, touching her shoulder before turning back to Garrus and entering the forward command post.

* * *

"Commander Shepard?"

"I got here as fast as I could. What's your situation?" Andromeda asked.

"Lieutenant Kurin. The entire perimeter is collapsing. My people are down to half-strength or worse. I'm ordering everyone to pull back while we still have some forces left in this sector." The Asari lieutenant looked like she'd been through hell; her features were haggard and her eyes dark. Behind her, the rows of bodies were a sobering reminder of the cost of holding the sector.

"Negative, Lieutenant. I need your people to hold this sector long enough for my team to extract some precious intel."

Lieutenant Kurin took a provocative step forward, "If we stay any longer in this sector, we'll be overrun. All of us. So you and Command can go fuck yourselves if you think I'm going to order the deaths of my entire command without even giving me a reason why."

At that moment, a massive explosion cut into the conversation. The barricade to the bridge had been blown open. As the smoke cleared, a brute charged out of the smoke and over the rubble. Even as one of the soldiers desperately tried to free her leg from debris, the brute brought its massive foot down, crushing her. Another commando screamed as the brute's massive claw slammed into her, pulverizing her bones and throwing her bodily into the air.

Time slowed to a crawl as Andromeda spun to face the brute. Beyond it, she saw the remaining commandos manning the barricade hastily throwing a biotic barrier in place, too busy stemming the tide of Reaper ground forces to help with the Brute. The explosion had killed the commandos manning the mounted turrets, which left heavy weapons out of the question. Andromeda gritted her teeth; there was no other option but to kill the brute quickly before it had the chance to rampage through the base unchecked.

Her right hand dipped to her thigh, grabbing two sticky grenades. Squeezing, she triggered their countdowns and lobbed them towards the monstrosity. The brute completely ignored the grenades, which fused onto its armor plates, pulsing with a wicked blue light. Oblivious, the brute gave a primal and guttural roar and charged.

"Fire in the hole!" screamed Andromeda, grabbing the Asari Lieutenant and diving with her out of the way.

As the brute's inertia carried it past the two, the grenades detonated. Twin explosions enveloped the brute, shearing off one of its arms and and pulping one of the legs. Minus the limbs, the brute fell forward, still using its good arm and leg to claw and push its way to Andromeda.

Andromeda walked forward, keeping her gaze on the creature's optics. Whatever Reaper intelligence was animating the beast, it seemed like she had its attention. Dodging the Brute's feeble attempt to sweep at her legs, she planted her boot on the creature's shoulder, pressing it into the ground. Holding her Mantis one handed, she pressed the muzzle of the gun to the Brute's head and fired. The armor piercing round tore through circuitry and meat, splattering the ground with an obscene slick.

"Lieutenant, I'm asking you to buy me some time. I know it's hard to do it in the dark, but you have to trust the chain of command. What your people are dying for today might save the galaxy."

* * *

With Asari air support, Andromeda had carved a path through Reaper forces to the temple where Councilor Tevos had instructed her to recover the intel. Inside, a hushed silence fell and the sounds of battle were sealed off. As the silence descended, it was almost possible to forget the pitched firefights between Reaper and Asari forces outside. Andromeda wondered how much time they had before the Asari pulled out of this particular sector; things had looked bad for them on the way to the temple.

The team descended down into the depths of the temple, keying in access codes to the inner sanctum. As a final set of doors hissed open, Andromeda's eyes widened in surprise. Ancient Asari statues lined the sides of an enormous chamber dominated by a massive effigy.

"Goddess…" whispered Liara.

"It's… a Prothean…" marveled Andromeda.

The figure was unmistakable; carved of the same material and in the same style as the other ancient sculptures, but bearing uncanny similarity to Javik. Its four eyes fixed the team with a regal stare; the Asari sculptors had clearly intended to immortalize the intimidation and wisdom they had felt radiating from their subject.

The Prothean statue stood high, towering above them, one hand reaching out in a commanding gesture, the other clutching a massive scepter that rested on the ground. As the door behind Andromeda hissed shut, the scepter suddenly began to glow along its length.

"A beacon…" breathed Andromeda.

She felt something stir in her mind, a serpent that ordinarily lay dormant just beyond her consciousness. The glow from the scepter intensified and Andromeda felt her feet move forward. The beacon was reaching out to her, calling to the Cipher. Her hand reached out with trembling fingers. As her gauntlet made contact with the beacon, visions burst forth in her mind.

_Hundreds of Prothean ships carved their way through space, subjugating and hegemonizing the known galaxy. The Protheans stood victorious, uniting all organic life in their cycle under their banner, the undisputed cultural and military leaders of their time. For centuries, the Prothean empire fought with the menace of AI, and just when their victory seemed inevitable, the Reapers came…_

Andromeda twisted and screamed in agony, but the beacon would not relinquish its grasp.

_The Citadel shone with light and grace; the heart of a massive and sprawling empire. A hundred Prothean warships patrolled the Widow Nebula, hundreds more spread across the galaxy. Suddenly, the entire station darkened. Between the massive spoke of the Citadel, space warped and tore apart. Dozens of Sovereign Class Reapers appeared through the tortured hole in space, the vanguard of hundreds of Reaper craft following them. Burning red lasers traced through space, literally igniting Widow into a blistering maelstrom of plasma. The Prothean warships rallied, striking back at the sudden intrusion. Even as several Reaper ships fell to the hellish salvo the Prothean fleets unleashed, energy beams sliced into the Prothean fleet, decimating the fleet. The Penumbra Apex, once the pride of the entire fleet, listed to the side, burning from a dozen rents in her hull, before colliding with her sister dreadnought and destroying them both in a massive detonation. Even as the Prothean fleet fought and was burned down to the last ship, the tide of Reaper ships flowed from dark space, unabated._

Having relayed its story, Andromeda felt the beacon probing her mind, inquiring on her need. The beacon pulsed, releasing her from its thrall. The temple snapped back in focus and Andromeda fell to her knees, tears on her face. An intense burst of grief tore through her chest: the pain of an entire civilization pounding through her in mourning for the beginning of their end. Garrus and Liara ran forward, concern on their faces, but Andromeda's eyes were fixed on the light that burst forth from the beacon, coalescing into a glowing green orb of rotating planes.

"Chronological and tactical markers obtained. Timescale established. Post-Prothean cycle confirmed. Reaper presence detected. This galactic cycle has already reached its extinction phase." The green planes spun with increasing speed and resolved into a Prothean's image. "I am Vendetta, an advance construct made in the image of the overseer of our Crucible project. After its completion and destruction, I was all that was left of our failure."

Andromeda rose to her feet unsteadily and stepped towards the figure, "The Crucible? Your people actually finished it? How did the Reapers win then?"

"As you witnessed, when the Reapers attacked our cycle, they took the Citadel in an instant. The mass relays were deactivated, our systems isolated from one another save for limited communications and alternative FTL travel. In this state, the Reapers were able to overwhelm our systems one at a time, completing their harvest before moving on. Even our most heavily defended bastions of power fell to them, cut off from any support. Ours was one of the last to fall. For generations we strove to find a solution to the Reaper threat, but all for naught, we were never able to activate the Crucible."

"Why not?" demanded Andromeda.

"I am programmed to withhold that information until the completion of the Crucible."

"We found your plans for the Crucible; we're building it right now."

"Correction: the Crucible is not ours. The plans for the device have been handed down from cycle to cycle. Each has attempted to use it to break the cycle of the Reapers, none have succeeded. Even the Crucible's true function remains unknown. All that is known is that the Catalyst is required."

"Tell us what it is!" urged Andromeda, looking around uneasily. Above them, Asari lines were collapsing; it was imperative that they retrieve the intel before the Reapers overwhelmed them completely.

"I am programmed to withhold that information until the completion of the Crucible."

Andromeda ground her teeth; they were out of time and the Prothean VI was clearly unwilling to relay its information before the completion of the Crucible.

"Liara, download the VI, we'll have to take it with us."

"Cooperating; downloading to local device."

The Prothean VI dissolved and the beacon above dimmed, no longer filled with the presence of an ancient Prothean. Liara held out the wafer of memory crystal to Andromeda, who slotted it into a compartment on her forearm.

"Cortez, get us and any Asari that are still alive out of here."

* * *

"Cortez, where the hell are you?"

Andromeda's team had resurfaced in the temple, but Cortez's shuttle had yet to arrive. Both Garrus and Liara gripped their weapons tighter; something was wrong.

Suddenly, Cortez's voice burst through, almost drowned by static.

"...being jammed… Cerberus pilots… have to… after I shake them."

"Cerberus?" Andromeda whispered with a frown.

"That's right."

Together as one, Andromeda, Garrus, and Liara spun to meet the source of the voice; a voice she remembered all too well. Even as they brought their weapons to bear, Leng was already activating his cloak, disappearing from sight. At the exact same moment, Cerberus Phantoms dropped from the ceiling.

Bringing her rifle up, she blocked a Phantom's sword, narrowly avoiding being cut in half. Raising her leg, she kicked out, catching the Phantom in the midriff. The Phantom staggered back and Andromeda pressed her advantage, bringing the butt of her rifle down on the Phantom's faceplate. The armor cracked, revealing glowing optics and circuitry beneath. Desperately, the Phantom rolled to the side with the impact, trying to raise her arm to a firing position. With one foot, Andromeda pinned the Phantom's wrist to the ground, while she brought the muzzle of her Mantis to bear. At point blank range, she pulled the trigger, watching the Phantom's head blossom open in a revolting mixture of flesh, blood, and Reaper tech. The Phantom's limbs turned limp like a marionette with its strings cut.

From the corner of her eye, a blur of motion revealed itself. Andromeda ducked, rolling away, as Leng materialized back into a visible spectrum.

"One-on-One again Shepard. I've been looking forward to this since I let you go on the Citadel."

"Maybe you can save yourself the trouble and just run away now," replied Andromeda with a hint of a smile.

Leng snarled, raising his sword and striking at her with a series of overhead blows. Andromeda sidestepped, dodging several blows and using her omni-blade to parry the others. Dropping her rifle, she curled her hand into a fist, punching Leng's face. The assassin reeled back from the blow, bleeding from his lip. Andromeda raised her arm, sweeping her omni-blade downwards in a vicious slash. Leng's sword barely came up in time, blocking her blade from his face by a millimeter.

Absorbing her impact, his knees bent and, with fluid practice, he swept out his right leg in a kick at her chest while disengaging their blades and raising his for another strike. Andromeda flung herself backwards onto the ground, dodging the kick, and grabbed her fallen rifle. Lying on her back, she crossed her Mantis over her chest just in time, holding the gun at both ends. Leng's blade smashed down on the gun's length, sending sparks flying. The impact was incredible and Andromeda gritted her teeth as her arms absorbed the force of Leng's blow.

The assassin pressed harder and Andromeda felt her arms weakening. The blade edged closer to her face. Andromeda tried to kick out with her legs, but Leng's knees crashed down, pinning them. Leng lowered his face offensively close; Andromeda could smell his breath.

"You're really something on your back you know… It's a real pity you're a whore that's addicted to Turian cock."

Andromeda felt something snap within her. Hatred and revulsion burst forward and she screamed in anger. She dropped her elbows suddenly, throwing Leng off balance; his blade came within a millimeter of her face. Leveraging against his staggered balance, Andromeda pushed as hard as she could with one arm, throwing Leng off her body.

As the assassin rolled to his feet, Andromeda reached down to her belt. In a single fluid motion, she primed and lobbed a sticky grenade. Leng came to a rest, crouched and ready to re-engage. Despite his cybernetic eyes, his expression betrayed a hint of confusion at Andromeda's still prone form. Almost comically, his gaze lowered to his chest, where the grenade pulsed sickly next to the glowing Cerberus logo, and his face twisted into a look of shock.

The detonation of the grenade shrouded the assassin's form in smoke as Andromeda pulled herself to her feet.

"It's Leng. Target the pillars!"

Amazingly, Leng had survived the blast. He staggered slightly and blood wept from gashes across his exposed face. His torso, however, appeared to have remained relatively undamaged by the grenade.

A sudden light filled the temple and a Cerberus gunship appeared. In the harsh glare of its lights, Andromeda saw Liara lying on the floor. Garrus and the remaining two Cerberus Phantoms were a blur of motion and light as he wielded dual omni-blades against the two.

Before she could decide whether to join the fray or deal with Leng, the gunship let loose with a salvo of missiles. Instinctively, Andromeda dived to the side, but the missiles were not aiming for her. Impacting upon the support pillars of the structure, the missiles were bringing down the entire temple ceiling. A massive support beam fell from the ceiling, smashing into the floor of the temple. As more masonry and metal fell from the ceiling, entire chucks of the floor began to give way, crumbling into the temple's lower levels.

Fissure tracks raced outwards from the initial cave ins. Too late, Andromeda felt the floor beneath her feet give out. Wildly, she dived forwards, barely grabbing onto the edge of the newly formed hole. The rest of the floor beneath her fell down, leaving her hanging on the edge of the abyss.

Looking up, she saw Leng walking to her with a grim smile on his face. His boots came to a halt right at the tip of her fingers and he squatted down. With deliberate slowness, he reached past her hands and plucked the Prothean VI from her wrist compartment.

"Cerberus thanks you for your hard work."

Andromeda screamed in fury but could do little else but hang on for her life. Almost as an afterthought, the assassin reached out, this time quickly and deftly. His hand plunged down her neckline and, for a wild moment, Andromeda thought he was attempting to grope her breasts. Instead of closing around her flesh, however, his hands caught the ring around her neck. As he jerked his hand back, Andromeda felt the silver chain break.

"You'll get this back when Cerberus is done with the Reapers. I will be a God and you, my slave."

"Fuck you, Leng!" she spat.

"I like it better when I have to break a girl in myself anyways," said Leng with a smirk. Standing, he turned on his heels, leaving Andromeda to struggle with her predicament. Calmly, he walked past Garrus as he drove an omni-blade through the chest of the last Phantom.

"Me or her," he said before turning to walk towards the waiting gunship.

Garrus' eyes widened in panic as he saw Andromeda's hands holding onto the edge of the massive hole in the floor. The edge crumbled, one of Andromeda's hands disappeared. Without a second look at Leng, he ran forward and dived, grabbing her remaining wrist.

"Shepard! I've got you."

Grunting, he pulled Andromeda up, hauling her over the lip of the hole. The sound of the gunship's engines filled the temple as the Cerberus craft took off.

Wordlessly, Andromeda rose to her feet and collected her rifle. The two hurried over to Liara, checking her vitals. A blunt impact to her head had knocked her out, but it was nothing Dr. Chakwas couldn't set straight. Through the entrance of the temple, Andromeda saw more Reaper ships descending from the sky. To the west, scores of shuttles were departing, evacuating any remaining civilians and military assets.

A single tear cut a track down Andromeda's face as she watched the Asari giving up the defense of their capital. They would undoubtedly regroup and try to hold the Reapers back from other sectors on Thessia, but how long did they have until the Reapers wore them down by sheer attrition? A hard pit formed in her stomach and it was hard to breathe. Anger and hatred welled up inside her as she thought of all the lives that would be lost with every day they had to delay the deployment of the Crucible.

Beside her, Garrus reached out to grasp her hand, but had no words for comfort.


End file.
